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The effect of ankle bracing on knee kinetics and kinematics during volleyball‐specific tasks
Author(s) -
West T.,
Ng L.,
Campbell A.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of medicine and science in sports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.575
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1600-0838
pISSN - 0905-7188
DOI - 10.1111/sms.12130
Subject(s) - brace , kinematics , bracing , ankle , ground reaction force , range of motion , knee joint , force platform , shear force , orthodontics , physical medicine and rehabilitation , motion analysis , geology , medicine , structural engineering , computer science , physical therapy , engineering , anatomy , physics , surgery , artificial intelligence , classical mechanics
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of ankle bracing on knee kinetics and kinematics during volleyball tasks. Fifteen healthy, elite, female volleyball players performed a series of straight‐line and lateral volleyball tasks with no brace and when wearing an ankle brace. A 14‐camera Vicon motion analysis system and AMTI force plate were used to capture the kinetic and kinematic data. Knee range of motion, peak knee anterior–posterior and medial–lateral shear forces, and peak ground reaction forces that occurred between initial contact with the force plate and toe off were compared using paired sample t ‐tests between the braced and non‐braced conditions ( P < 0.05). The results revealed no significant effect of bracing on knee kinematics or ground reaction forces during any task or on knee kinetics during the straight‐line movement volleyball tasks. However, ankle bracing was demonstrated to reduce knee lateral shear forces during all of the lateral movement volleyball tasks. Wearing the A ctive A nkle T 2 brace will not impact knee joint range of motion and may in fact reduce shear loading to the knee joint in volleyball players.