Ankle Injury Essay

Biomechanics and Anatomy
The anatomical and biomechanical makeup of the lateral side of the ankles have an innate vulnerability to ligamentous sprain. Inversion and eversion are permitted by two joints, the talocrural and the subtalor joint (Hertel et al, 1999). The lateral malleolus is comparably longer than the medial, which happens to create a fulcrum that inclines the ankle to inversion sprains (Booher & Thibodeau, 1994). The lateral ligament complex of the ankle is made up of the anterior talofibular ligament, posterior talofibular ligament, and the calcaneofibular ligament. When that lateral ligament complex is stretched passed its normal mechanical limit, torn slightly or completely, the inflammatory response will begin (6-24 hours)
Garrick and Requa (1973) investigated the outcomes of ankle taping on more than 2,000 basketball players prone to ankle sprains over a period of 2 competitive seasons. The authors asserted that the figure-eight taping method in combination with a high support trainer would produce an injury occurrence of 6.5 every 1,000 games. Players that were not taped produced 30.4 injury occurrences per 1000 games and when taped with the low support yielded 17.6 injuries per 1,000 games. The authors determined that taping confines the occurrence of ankle sprain and that the use of high-top or low-top shoes also play a role. Subsequent years later Burley et al (1988) evaluated the figure-eight with the heel-lock taping method and compared it to bracing for preventing ankle sprain. The study involved 297 football players over seven American football seasons. The researchers established that the non-specific lace up braces were extra effective (p=0.003) in decreasing the frequency of sprain than taping because the athletes had the option readily available to them to readjust their brace-tension all throughout the exercises. Regrettably, this particular individual calculation of brace-tightness and the individual readjustment happens to be a subjective measure, therefore making it difficult to be controlled. Burley et al (1988) also determined that footwear does play an enormous role in injury prevention. It further found that athletes who were taped in combination with wearing ankle-supportive footwear yielded zero ankle injuries over two seasons. While it has been revealed that ankle supportive methods and devices can decrease and limit the frequency of sprain, there is also the concern that the performance of the athlete is negatively affected. Rosenbaum et al (2005) took 10 different ankle braces and examined the differences