Effect of Ankle Supporter Use on the Lower Limb Joints When Landing on One Leg

Abstract

[Purpose] To clarify the effect of ankle supporter use on the lower limb joints when landing on one leg. [Participants and Methods] Nine healthy adult males landed on their right leg with an ankle supporter from a platform with a height of 30 cm in 4 directions: in front of, behind, and on the left/right side of the platform. A 3-D motion analysis device and floor reaction force meter were used. Analysis was performed to calculate the lower limb joint angles, lower limb joint moments, and peak lower limb joint powers of the landing leg. [Results] The ankle joint power significantly decreased when landing in all directions with an ankle supporter, whereas the knee joint power significantly increased when landing in front of and on the right side of the platform with the supporter. [Conclusion] The results suggest that ankle supporter use reduces the load on the ankle joint when landing, but the knee joint covers impact absorption.