Abstract

Ankle braces in sports are used for prevention of ankle sprains. The object of ankle braces is to support the ankle joint and to restrict inversion and eversion of the foot. Besides restricting these movements, it is possible that an ankle brace also reduces the functional range of motion of the ankle joint and hence might possibly impair athletic performance. It is unlikely that prophylactic ankle bracing will gain wide acceptance if bracing hinders athletic performance. The purpose of this paper was to review the literature on the effect of ankle bracing on athletic performance. The majority of the studies did not find an effect on athletic performance when an ankle brace was applied. The results indicated that ankle bracing has no or just a minor effect on vertical jump height, running speed, agility and broad jump. The studies reviewed only investigated short time use of the ankle brace. The effect of prolonged ankle bracing on athletic performance is still unknown. It is advised to stuy the effect of prolonged ankle brace use on athletic performance. Verf.-Referat