Abstract

Objective: To determine if the spectral qualities of medial-lateral (ML) and anterior-posterior (AP) center of pressure during a 1-legged stance are affected by 4 days of ankle-brace application.
Design and Setting: The study, which consisted of a pretest-posttest randomized group design, took place in the Sports Injury Research Laboratory at Indiana State University.
Subjects: Twenty-eight Indiana State University students, who had not suffered from any ankle injuries within the past 2 years and were free of any neurologic or vestibular disorders, participated in the study. Measurements: The effects of 3 independent variables on mean frequency amplitude for both ML and AP center of pressure were examined: (1) treatment (brace, control), (2) frequency bin (0%–20%, 20%–40%, 40%–60%, 60%–80%, and 80%–100% of area), and (3) time (pretest, immediately after brace application, and after 1, 2, 3, or 4 days of brace wear).
Results: We detected no difference (P > .05) for the ML or AP mean frequency when comparing the brace and control groups. Conclusions: Application of an ankle brace may not require modifications in the postural-control strategies during a 1-legged stance in subjects with healthy ankles. Verf.-Referat