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Braced for impact: reducing military paratroopers' ankle sprains using outside-the-boot braces.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Amoroso, PJ; Ryan, JB; Bickley, B; Leitschuh, P; Taylor, DC; Jones, BH
Published in: J Trauma
September 1998

BACKGROUND: Ankle injuries account for 30 to 60% of all parachuting injuries. This study was designed to determine if outside-the-boot ankle braces could reduce ankle sprains during Army paratrooper training. METHODS: The randomized trial involved 777 volunteers from the U.S. Army Airborne School, Fort Benning, Ga. Of this group, 745 completed all study requirements (369 brace-wearers and 376 non-brace-wearers). Each volunteer made five parachute jumps, for a total of 3,674 jumps. RESULTS: The incidence of inversion ankle sprains was 1.9% in non-brace-wearers and 0.3% in brace-wearers (risk ratio, 6.9; p = 0.04). Other injuries appeared unaffected by the brace. Overall, 5.3% of the non-brace group and 4.6% of the brace group experienced at least one injury. The risk ratio for injured individuals was 1.2:1 (non-brace to brace groups; p = 0.65). CONCLUSION: Inversion ankle sprains during parachute training can be significantly reduced by using an outside-the-boot ankle brace, with no increase in risk for other injuries.

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Published In

J Trauma

DOI

ISSN

0022-5282

Publication Date

September 1998

Volume

45

Issue

3

Start / End Page

575 / 580

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Sprains and Strains
  • Shoes
  • Reference Values
  • Military Personnel
  • Humans
  • Emergency & Critical Care Medicine
  • Braces
  • Aviation
  • Ankle Injuries
  • Adult
 

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Amoroso, P. J., Ryan, J. B., Bickley, B., Leitschuh, P., Taylor, D. C., & Jones, B. H. (1998). Braced for impact: reducing military paratroopers' ankle sprains using outside-the-boot braces. J Trauma, 45(3), 575–580. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005373-199809000-00028
Amoroso, P. J., J. B. Ryan, B. Bickley, P. Leitschuh, D. C. Taylor, and B. H. Jones. “Braced for impact: reducing military paratroopers' ankle sprains using outside-the-boot braces.J Trauma 45, no. 3 (September 1998): 575–80. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005373-199809000-00028.
Amoroso PJ, Ryan JB, Bickley B, Leitschuh P, Taylor DC, Jones BH. Braced for impact: reducing military paratroopers' ankle sprains using outside-the-boot braces. J Trauma. 1998 Sep;45(3):575–80.
Amoroso, P. J., et al. “Braced for impact: reducing military paratroopers' ankle sprains using outside-the-boot braces.J Trauma, vol. 45, no. 3, Sept. 1998, pp. 575–80. Pubmed, doi:10.1097/00005373-199809000-00028.
Amoroso PJ, Ryan JB, Bickley B, Leitschuh P, Taylor DC, Jones BH. Braced for impact: reducing military paratroopers' ankle sprains using outside-the-boot braces. J Trauma. 1998 Sep;45(3):575–580.

Published In

J Trauma

DOI

ISSN

0022-5282

Publication Date

September 1998

Volume

45

Issue

3

Start / End Page

575 / 580

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Sprains and Strains
  • Shoes
  • Reference Values
  • Military Personnel
  • Humans
  • Emergency & Critical Care Medicine
  • Braces
  • Aviation
  • Ankle Injuries
  • Adult