Clinical Studies

The Effect of an Ankle Orthosis on Ankle Range of Motion and Performance

J. Preston Wiley, MPE, MD and B.M. Nigg, DrScNat

Published in Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy, June 1996

12 subjects (4 females, 8 males) with clinically documented ankle sprains were recruited for the study.

Each subject was randomly assigned to one or two testing groups, one group wearing MalleoLoc during the first testing session and no orthosis in the second. The other group was tested in the inverse testing sequence.

Range of motion tests were performed before and after each of the exercise sessions consisting of running a figure-eight course, cycling on a stationary bike, and jogging on a treadmill, both with and without the MalleoLoc ankle orthosis worn.

Jumping performance tests were also performed with and without the ankle joint orthosis before and after the previously described exercise program.

Active inversion was reduced by 44% in the pre-exercise condition and by 35% in the post-exercise condition using MalleoLoc, performing as well or better than the other ankle orthosis discussed in the study.

MalleoLoc reduced inversion significantly under all dorsiflexion and plantar flexion angles tested.

MalleoLoc reduced the other movement degrees of freedom (eversion, dorsiflexion, plantar flexion) only minimally.

MalleoLoc loosening was minimal and statistically insignificant; MalleoLoc maintained the restrictive function before and after exercise and activity.

The results of this study showed that the MalleoLoc ankle joint orthosis did not affect the performance variables for the figure-eight and the jumping tests, whereas reduction of performance has been found in many Air-stirrup orthoses.

MalleoLoc did not affect performance negatively, as can other ankle joint orthoses