Journal of Ergonomics
Open Access

Abstract

Andreas Stotz MA1*, Cornelius John MA1 , Julian Gmachowski MA1 , Ralf Schwengsbier1 , Anna Lina Rahlf PT2 , Daniel Hamacher3 , Karsten Hollander MD4 , Astrid Zech PT

Background: Elastic ankle supports can effectively prevent recurrent ankle sprains but little is known about how habitual running characteristics such as foot strike patterns are influenced. The objective was to examine the effect of elastic ankle support on foot strike patterns of individuals with Chronic Ankle Instability (CAI) in comparison to healthy controls. Methods: Three-minute running trials at 2.78 m/s of 20 individuals with CAI and 20 healthy controls were recorded with a 3D motion capture system and video cameras. Foot strike patterns were classified as non-rear foot strikes and rear foot strikes according to the foot part that initiated ground contact. Measurement conditions (with vs. without ankle support) were applied in random, counterbalanced order. A regression analysis via binomial Multilevel-LogitModel was applied to examine the effect of ankle support on foot strike patterns for both groups. Results: Ankle support was a significant predictor for rear foot striking prevalence for both groups (p<0.001). The significant group by ankle support interaction effect (p<0.001) indicated that the prevalence of rear foot striking increased significantly for the control group but decreased for the CAI group. Conclusion: Foot strike patterns of individuals with CAI and healthy controls were influenced by an elastic ankle support. Mechanical stability provided by the ankle support might be responsible for changes in foot strike patterns.

Published Date: 2024-04-25; Received Date: 2024-03-24