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document
Braced for impact : reducing military paratroopers ' ankle sprains using outside-the-boot braces . 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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Intervention_Physical
outside-the-boot braces
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Intervention_Other
brace-wearers
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Intervention_Control
non-brace-wearers )
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Outcome_Physical
incidence of inversion ankle sprains
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Outcome_Other
risk ratio for injured individuals
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Outcome_Physical
Inversion ankle sprains
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Participant_Condition
paratroopers
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Participant_Condition
777
92645
Participant_Condition
745
92646
Participant_Condition
369 brace-wearers
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Participant_Condition
376 non-brace-wearers