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Braces score big for ankle sprains
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif.-On the gridiron, ankle braces have outstripped tape.
In an eight-year Bowman Gray study of 300 Wake Forest football players, the 48% who wore ankle braces for 656 player-years had only 43 sprains, says Dr. Monte Hunter. But the 52% who chose tape to protect their ankles had 115 injuries over 678 player-years.
Injured players selecting the ankle-stabilizing orthoses got back on the field in a mean of six days, vs. eight days for those who preferred to use tape, he told the Southern Orthopaedic Association meeting here. Some crossed over. The variable of high-top or low-top shoes was not significant.
Dr. Hunter ran the study during 1,466 practices and 89 games. -Judith Groch
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