The effectiveness of the parachutist ankle brace in reducing ankle injuries in an airborne Ranger battalion

The purpose of this study was to determine if the parachutist ankle brace ( PAB) decreases the number and severity of ankle injuries in an airborne Ran ger battalion, A retrospective study was performed covering a 38-month peri od. A computer database was used to track all jump injuries with a diagnosi s of ankle pain, sprain, or fracture, The frequency was calculated for ankl e injuries per 1,000 jumps and the average length of medically restricted d uty per ankle injury. A total of 13,782 static line parachute jumps were co nducted during the study period. Without the PAB, 35 ankle injuries were se en (4,5/1,000 jumps), with 9 fractures and 316 days of medical restriction per 1,000 jumps, Using the PAB, 9 ankle injuries were seen (1.5/1,000 jumps ), with 3 fractures and 71 days of medical restriction per 1,000 jumps. The correct use of the PAB appeared to significantly decrease the incidence of ankle injuries in this battalion.