Many youth basketball coaches are turning to prophylactic ankle bracing in an attempt to prevent ankle sprains in their female players. With a multitude of bracing options, choosing the best solution can be frustrating for parents and coaches. There is no need to purchase a particular shoe for someone that requires an ankle brace. Instead, the focus should be on the style of brace, as this becomes the primary external supportive structure to the ankle.There has been minimal research comparing one brand name to another, however the rigid and lace-up ankle braces are the two most popular style choices.
Rigid Ankle Braces
A rigid ankle brace is one that has a foot plate, a hinged ankle, and two plastic padded stays on the medial and lateral aspects of the ankle. Although this style of brace is effective in stabilizing the ankle, it is also bulky. A bulky brace will either cause the athlete to buy a bigger size shoe, or it will create an ill-fitting shoe. Either way, the result is that the shoe will not fit properly and may be a potential cause of injury.
Lace-Up Braces
A lace-up ankle brace slips on like a sock and has a lacing system similar to a shoe that can be tightened as much as the athlete desires. ASO, which stands for ankle stabilizing orthosis, is a familiar brand name to athletic trainers. Alicia Thomas, athletic trainer and physical therapist assistant from Evansville, Indiana, said she likes the ASO because " it has additional straps that form a figure 8 around the ankle." She goes on to say that " the ASO is low profile and fits into basketball shoes well and does not add extra bulk."
Effects on Performance
There has been some debate about the effects of sport performance while wearing an ankle brace. A 2008 "Journal of Athletic Training" article noted there was no functional performance differences during balance activities in participants who were wearing either a semirigid or lace-up ankle brace. Other studies have evaluated performance based on vertical jump height, but unfortunately most of this research is outdated.
The Recommendation
The ASO lace-up ankle brace is the best option for a girl's basketball shoe. It not only provides global ankle stability through the lace-up structure, but has nylon straps that simulate the effects of figure 8 taping. The brace is slim and easy to get in the shoe, which can be thought of as another caveat to injury prevention. The best expert knowledge as of 2011 suggests that wearing ankle braces will not negatively impact the athlete, but instead help prevent ankle sprains.
References
- "Journal of Athletic Training": Prophylactic Ankle Braces and Star Excursion Balance Measures in Healthy Volunteers: Lisa Hardy, et. al.: July-August 2008
- "Sports Medicine": The Effect of Ankle Bracing on Athletic Performance: SD Bot, et. al.: March 1999
- "Journal of Athletic Training": Lower Extremity Kinematics and Ground Reaction Forces After Prophylactic Lace-Up Ankle Bracing: LJ DiStefano, et. al.: May-June 2008
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