High school football players who use lace-up ankle braces are less likely to suffer acute ankle injuries, but are at the same risk of acute knee or other lower extremity injuries, according to a study published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine.
Researchers examined 2,081 athletes from 50 high schools who were randomly assigned to the braced or control group. In the brace group, the rate of acute ankle injury per 1,000 exposures was 0.48, compared to 1.12 in the control group.
When an ankle injury did occur, the average time lost was five days in both groups and the rate of acute knee injury was nearly the same in both groups. The rate of other lower extremity injury was 0.95 in the braced group and 1.32 in the control group, with the severity being similar in both groups.
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When an ankle injury did occur, the average time lost was five days in both groups and the rate of acute knee injury was nearly the same in both groups. The rate of other lower extremity injury was 0.95 in the braced group and 1.32 in the control group, with the severity being similar in both groups.
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AAOS: Balancing Medical Ethics With Sports Medicine for High-Level Athletes
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