Effects of elastic ankle braces and anticipation conditions on lower limb biomechanics during badminton lunge movements.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the effects of wearing elastic ankle braces under anticipated and unanticipated conditions on lower limb biomechanics during badminton lunge steps and assess the associated risks of ankle and knee joint injuries.

METHODS

Sixteen male badminton players performed left-front lunges in four scenarios (anticipated/unanticipated conditions× with/without brace), assessed via 3D motion capture (Qualisys, 200 Hz) and force plates (Kistler, 1000 Hz), a two-factor repeated measures ANOVA and Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Wearing ankle braces reduced the peak ankle inversion moment (p = 0.042) but increased the knee valgus angle of the movement (p < 0.006) compared to without brace under anticipated conditions. The main effect of unanticipation significantly increased the peak ankle inversion angle (p = 0.003) and knee varus moment (p = 0.024) compared to anticipated conditions.

CONCLUSION

Elastic ankle braces can potentially reduce ankle injury risk during badminton lunges but may increase stress on the knee joint, particularly under unanticipated conditions. These findings suggest that while ankle braces are beneficial for ankle protection, caution is needed due to their potential impact on knee joint mechanics.