The effect of silicone ankle sleeves and lace-up ankle braces on neuromuscular control, joint torque, and cutting agility

Objective: To evaluate the effects of silicone ankle sleeves (SASs) and lace-up ankle braces (LABs) on neuromuscular control, net joint torques, and cutting agility in healthy, active individuals. Design: Markerless motion-capture technology tracked subjects fitted with SASs, LABs, or no brace while they performed the movements: Y-excursion, left cuffing, right cutting, single-leg drop vertical jump (SLDVJ), 45-degree bound, and single-leg squat (SLS). Setting: University Laboratory. Participants: Ten healthy, active individuals (5 males and 5 females, mean +/- SD 23.60 +/- 1.43 years of age). Main outcome measures: Degrees of joint range of motion (ROM), Newton-meters of joint torque, time to perform a cutting maneuver. Results: SASs and LABs resulted in significantly different knee and ankle ROM and hip internal rotation in the SLDVJ, SLS, Y-excursion, cutting maneuver, and 45-degree bound when compared to control (p < .05). Both ankle and knee torque were significantly reduced in the 45-degree bound and cutting movements with both types of PABs (p < .05). There were minimal differences between the SASs and LABs for all conditions. There were no statistically significant differences in cutting times for any of the 3 conditions. Conclusion: Both SAS and LAB positively impacted neuromuscular control, reduced net joint torque, and neither impaired cutting agility when compared to control.