Kinetic Variables of Lower-Extremity Joint during Forward Jump Landing with Versus without Elastic Ankle Strap

Abstract

PURPOSE This study aimed to investigate the effect of an ankle strap on kinetic variables of the lower limb during forward jump landing.METHODS Twelve healthy adult men (mean age, 23.58±2.22 years; mean height, 177.83±5.37 cm; mean weight, 75.00±7.72 kg) participated. The participants stood barefoot on both legs at a horizontal distance of 40% of their body height from the center of the force plate, then jumped forward and landed on the force plate with their dominant or non-dominant leg over a 30-cm hurdle while wearing or not wearing an ankle strap. Joint angle, peak vertical force, loading rate, and leg stiffness were calculated. Paired t-test and repeated-measures two-way analysis of variance with Bonferroni’s post hoc tests were used to compare the characteristics of both lower limbs and the effect of wearing an ankle strap. The significance level was α < .05RESULTS Our results showed significant differences in kinematic variables between the dominant and non-dominant legs without the ankle strap. With the ankle strap, the inversion angles at the ankle joints of both lower extremities were significantly decreased, and an interaction effect between both legs and the ankle strap occurred in the internal rotation angle of the ankle joint. Kinetic variables did not differ significantly.CONCLUSIONS The ankle strap did not completely compensate for ankle instability in the non-dominant leg, but it significantly reduced the angle of internal rotation at the ankle joint. Thus, we recommend that correct wearing of the ankle strap in sports since it reduces the possibility of lateral ankle sprains to some extent.