| (HealthDayNews)
-- Ankle and knee braces may sound like a wise
investment for teen athletes looking to avoid
injuries, but new research suggests the braces
cause more problems than they prevent.
North Carolina teens who wore ankle and knee
braces were 1.6 to 1.7 times more likely to become
injured than their fellow athletes, according
to new findings released this week. Of the third
most commonly used types of lower-extremity braces,
only the kneepad turned out to be beneficial.
The researchers behind the study aren't saying
all teens should stop wearing the knee and ankle
braces entirely. But young athletes should make
sure they consult with experts about wearing them,
especially if they're already hurt, said study
co-author Jingzhen Yang, an assistant professor
of behavioral health at the University of Iowa.
"If the athletes haven't fully recovered,
we don't recommend that they just put on a brace
and go back to play," Yang said.
Athletic trainers have spent years debating the
value of ankle and knee braces, which are a common
sight on football fields and basketball courts.
In the new study, researchers looked at the records
of students who took part in 12 organized sports
in 100 North Carolina high schools from 1996-1999.
Combined, the students played sports for 19,728
seasons.
The findings appear in the March 15 issue of
the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Students who wore knee braces -- also known as
anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) braces -- were
1.61 times more likely to suffer knee injuries
as those who didn't, and the ankle injury rate
was 1.74 times higher for those who wore ankle
braces as for those who didn't.
It's possible that knee braces contributed to
ankle injuries and ankle braces to knee injuries,
Yang said. Researchers hope to investigate that
theory further.
The researchers also speculated that the knee
and ankle braces could have slipped during use.
One more possibility is that athletes wearing
them "may play more aggressively," Yang
said. "And they could have had an injury
before, and weren't fully recovered."
Kneepads, by contrast, reduced knee injuries
by 56 percent. They're so effective at absorbing
impact that baseball and softball teams should
consider making them mandatory, Yang said. Athletes
in the study wore the braces voluntarily, he pointed
out.
Tab Blackburn, executive director of the Tulane
Institute of Sports Medicine, said he's not surprised
by the findings, considering that research hasn't
proven the effectiveness of either ankle or knee
braces.
He suggests that teen athletes protect their
ankles by using lace-up braces (also known as
taping) and wearing high-topped shoes. "It's
so easy for parents," he said.
As for knees, he noted that studies haven't shown
knee braces to be effective, even if they cost
hundreds of dollars. Instead of buying a brace,
he said, "get your child's leg muscles as
strong as possible and then make sure they are
in good cardiovascular conditioning."
More information
Learn more about knee braces from the American
Academy of Family Physicians.
By Randy Dotinga
SOURCES: Jingzhen Yang, Ph.D., assistant professor,
behavioral health, University of Iowa, Iowa City;
and Tab Blackburn, executive director, Tulane
Institute of Sports Medicine, Tulane University,
New Orleans; March 15, 2005, American Journal
of Epidemiology
Last Updated: January 2006
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