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The effect of external ankle support on knee joint biomechanics during sporting tasks
Bronn, K. 2025. The Effect of External Ankle Support on Knee Joint Biomechanics During Sporting Tasks. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/d4f241ca-78e7-492d-897c-152e2c2ba45a
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| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867614083221553152 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Bronn, Karla |
| author2 | De Jongh, Cornel |
| author_browse | Bronn, Karla De Jongh, Cornel |
| author_facet | De Jongh, Cornel Bronn, Karla |
| author_sort | Bronn, Karla |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Bronn, K. 2025. The Effect of External Ankle Support on Knee Joint Biomechanics During Sporting Tasks. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/d4f241ca-78e7-492d-897c-152e2c2ba45a |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132150 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:46:23.902Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132150 The effect of external ankle support on knee joint biomechanics during sporting tasks Bronn, Karla De Jongh, Cornel Van der Merwe, Johan Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering. Orthopedic braces -- Complications Ankle -- Wounds and injuries -- Prevention Knee -- Wounds and injuries -- Prevention Impact -- Physiological effect UCTD Bronn, K. 2025. The Effect of External Ankle Support on Knee Joint Biomechanics During Sporting Tasks. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/d4f241ca-78e7-492d-897c-152e2c2ba45a Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this biomechanical study was to examine the effects of external ankle bracing on knee joint biomechanics during dynamic, sports-relevant movements. Ankle bracing is commonly used to provide stability and reduce ankle injury risk; however, little is known about its potential impact on proximal joints such as the knee, particularly during high-intensity sports tasks. This study aimed to investigate how ankle bracing influences joint moments, ground reaction forces, and joint angles at the knee and ankle, focusing on implications for knee joint loading. A within-subject experimental design was employed, with ten participants performing single-leg drop jumps (SLDJ) and sidestep cutting manoeuvres (SSCM) under braced and non-braced conditions. These movements were selected due to their high demands on joint stability and control, making them relevant for assessing ankle brace impact. Motion capture and ground reaction force data were collected for each trial and processed through a musculoskeletal simulation pipeline in OpenSim, which included scaling a generic model to each participant’s anthropometry, followed by inverse kinematics, inverse dynamics, and residual reduction algorithm. The results showed that ankle bracing significantly affected joint mechanics in both tasks. In the SLDJ, bracing led to increased peak vertical ground reaction forces and reduced ankle plantarflexion moments, indicating that the brace restricts plantarflexion and enforces a more dorsiflexed position. This adjustment was accompanied by an increase in knee joint moments, suggesting a compensatory loading mechanism to counterbalance restricted ankle movement. In the SSCM, the brace similarly reduced peak plantarflexion moments at the ankle while slightly increasing knee flexion and inversion moments. These findings suggest that ankle bracing provides additional lateral stability but also shifts load distribution toward the knee, potentially increasing knee demand during dynamic, multidirectional tasks. The findings align with previous research indicating that restricting distal joint mobility can lead to compensatory changes in proximal joints. The observed increase in knee loading under braced conditions may have implications for injury prevention, as elevated knee moments are associated with increased risk of knee injuries, such as ligament strains. This study contributes valuable insights for clinicians and sports professionals by highlighting the need to balance the protective benefits of ankle braces with the potential risk of increased knee joint loading. Additionally, the results suggest that optimal brace design should consider not only ankle stability but also its effects on lower limb biomechanics to avoid unintended stress on the knee. In conclusion, while ankle bracing provides crucial ankle stability, especially during lateral movements, it may also increase knee loading due to compensatory adjustments in movement mechanics. These findings underscore the importance of a holistic approach to brace design and usage, emphasizing lower limb interdependence in joint mechanics. Future studies could investigate long-term adaptations to ankle bracing and explore alternative designs that provide stability without compromising knee joint health. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie biomeganiese studie was om die effekte van eksterne enkelstut gebruik op kniegewrigbiomeganika tydens dinamiese, sportverwante bewegings te ondersoek. Enkelstutte word algemeen gebruik om stabiliteit te bied en die risiko van enkelbeserings te verminder; daar is egter min bekend oor die potensiële impak daarvan op proksimale gewrigte soos die knie, veral tydens hoëintensiteit sporttake. Hierdie studie het ten doel gehad om te ondersoek hoe enkelstutte die momente rondom die gewrig, grondreaksiekragte en gewrigshoeke by die knie en enkel beïnvloed, met spesifieke fokus op die implikasies vir kniegewriglading. 'n Binne-deelnemer eksperimentele ontwerp is gebruik, waar tien deelnemers enkelbeenspronge (SLDJ) en sywaartse snybewegings (SSCM) onder gesteunde en nie-gesteunde toestande uitgevoer het. Hierdie bewegings is gekies vanweë hul hoë vereistes aan gewrigstabiliteit en beheer, wat hulle relevant maak vir die beoordeling van enkelstut-impak. Bewegingvaslegging en grondreaksiekragdata is vir elke proef versamel en verwerk deur 'n spier- en skeletsmulasie-pyplyn in OpenSim, wat die skaling van 'n generiese model na elke deelnemer se antropometrie ingesluit het, gevolg deur omgekeerde kinematika, omgekeerde dinamika en die residuele reduksie-algoritme. Die resultate het getoon dat enkelstutte die gewrigsmeganika in albei take beduidend beïnvloed het. In die SLDJ het stutting gelei tot verhoogde piek vertikale grondreaksiekragte en verminderde enkelfleksie-momente, wat aandui dat die stut plantêre fleksie beperk en 'n meer dorsifleksie-posisie afdwing. Hierdie aanpassing is vergesel van 'n toename in kniegewrigmomente, wat 'n kompenserende ladingsmeganisme suggereer om beperkte enkelbeweging te balanseer. In die SSCM het die stut soortgelyk piek plantêre fleksie-momente by die enkel verminder terwyl dit kniebuiging en inversiemomente effens verhoog het. Hierdie bevindinge dui daarop dat enkelstutte bykomende laterale stabiliteit bied, maar ook die ladingsverspreiding na die knie verskuif, wat moontlik die knievereiste verhoog tydens dinamiese, veeldimensionele take. Die bevindinge stem ooreen met vorige navorsing wat aandui dat die beperking van distale gewrigsmobiliteit kan lei tot kompenserende veranderinge in proksimale gewrigte. Die waargenome toename in knielading onder gesteunde toestande mag implikasies hê vir beseringsvoorkoming, aangesien verhoogde kniemomente geassosieer word met 'n verhoogde risiko van kniebeserings, soos ligamentbeserings. Hierdie studie bied waardevolle insigte vir klinici en sportkundiges deur die behoefte te beklemtoon om die beskermende voordele van enkelstutte te balanseer met die potensiële risiko van verhoogde knielading. Boonop dui die resultate daarop dat optimale stutontwerp nie net enkelstabiliteit in ag moet neem nie, maar ook die effekte daarvan op onderste ledemaatbiomeganika, om onbedoelde spanning op die knie te vermy. Ten slotte, hoewel enkelstutte belangrike enkelstabiliteit bied, veral tydens laterale bewegings, kan dit ook knielading verhoog as gevolg van kompenserende aanpassings in bewegingsmeganika. Hierdie bevindinge beklemtoon die belangrikheid van 'n holistiese benadering tot stutontwerp en -gebruik, met die klem op onderste ledemaat-interafhanklikheid in gewrigsmeganika. Toekomstige studies kan langtermyn-aanpassings tot enkelstutgebruik ondersoek en alternatiewe ontwerpe verken wat stabiliteit bied sonder om knieverrigting te benadeel Masters 2025-05-28T06:00:18Z 2025-05-28T06:00:18Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132150 en Stellenbosch University xviii, 105 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Orthopedic braces -- Complications Ankle -- Wounds and injuries -- Prevention Knee -- Wounds and injuries -- Prevention Impact -- Physiological effect UCTD Bronn, Karla The effect of external ankle support on knee joint biomechanics during sporting tasks |
| title | The effect of external ankle support on knee joint biomechanics during sporting tasks |
| title_full | The effect of external ankle support on knee joint biomechanics during sporting tasks |
| title_fullStr | The effect of external ankle support on knee joint biomechanics during sporting tasks |
| title_full_unstemmed | The effect of external ankle support on knee joint biomechanics during sporting tasks |
| title_short | The effect of external ankle support on knee joint biomechanics during sporting tasks |
| title_sort | effect of external ankle support on knee joint biomechanics during sporting tasks |
| topic | Orthopedic braces -- Complications Ankle -- Wounds and injuries -- Prevention Knee -- Wounds and injuries -- Prevention Impact -- Physiological effect UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132150 |
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