Citation

Babins EM. Clin. J. Sport. Med. 2012; 22(4): 381-382.

Affiliation

Department of Family Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine, Publisher Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/JSM.0b013e3182603935

PMID

22732347

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: : To determine whether lace-up ankle braces reduce the number and severity of acute ankle injuries and other lower extremity injuries among high school basketball players. DESIGN: : Cluster randomized (by school) controlled trial stratified by size of student enrollment. Sample size was calculated with 80% power to show a difference between groups of 6% in the rate of acute ankle injuries, at P ≤ 0.05. SETTING: : Wisconsin high schools during the basketball season of November 2009 through March 2010. PARTICIPANTS: : Of 277 high schools in Wisconsin with licensed athletic trainers who were contacted by mail, e-mail, and flyers (for the students), 46 schools agreed to participate and also collected data. Eligibility criteria were: the trainers participated in an online training tutorial; and the students were male and female basket ball team players in grades 9 through 12, who had no disabling disabilities on the first day of practice. Of the 2920 eligible players, 1470 were included in the study and 1460 were included in the analyses. INTERVENTION: : Players at the schools randomized to the lace-up ankle brace (McDavid Ultralight 195; McDavid Inc, Woodridge, Illinois) were instructed on the application and fitting of the braces that were provided and were told to wear them for each training session or match throughout the season. Compliance with wearing braces or not wearing braces was recorded by the trainer. The players assigned to the brace and no-brace groups completed questionnaires on player characteristics, ankle function, and history of injury. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: : The primary outcome measure was a comparison between the braced group and the control group of the rate of first acute ankle injuries during training or competition that forced the athlete to stop participation and to miss basketball activities the following day. Injuries were evaluated by the trainers who referred the player to a physician if warranted. Injury severity was determined by the number of days before return to basketball after the player passed a test of functional activities. MAIN RESULTS: : Ankle injuries comprised 40% of the 265 injuries of any type during 112 439 basketball exposures (76% in practices), with 55% of the injuries classified as mild (1-7 days lost). In intention-to-treat analyses (per 1000 exposures), the overall incidence of acute ankle injuries was lower in the braced group than the control group (27 vs 78 injuries; rate, 0.47 vs 1.41), as was the rate of first-event ankle injuries (Cox hazard rate [HR] adjusted for sex, previous injury, grade and competition level, and body mass index, 0.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.10-0.51). Risk for a first-event ankle injury among participants with a history of previous ankle injury was lower in the braced group than in the control group (HR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.17-0.90), as was the risk for injury with no history of ankle injury (HR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.17-0.52). First-event ankle injuries occurred earlier in the control group than in the braced group (median exposures until injury, 24 vs 49.5). The severity of acute ankle injuries was similar in the braced group and the control group (median days lost, 5.0 vs 6.0; P = 0.23). The rates of acute knee injuries were similar in the braced and control groups but were more severe in both groups (median days lost, 60 and 61) than were ankle injuries. The overall rate of injuries of all types did not differ between the braced group (2.05; 95% CI, 1.46-2.86) and the control group (2.68; 95% CI, 2.13-3.37). Rates of other lower extremity injuries did not differ significantly between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: : Acute ankle injuries among high school basketball players assigned to wear lace-up ankle braces were reduced by 68%. The braces did not affect the severity of the injury or the rates of knee or other lower extremity injuries.

Language: en