PEBBLE BEACH, Calif.- On the gridiron, ankle braces have outstripped tape.

Recommended athletic braces for support
during vigorous athletics

• Bauerfeind MalleoLoc Ankle Brace
• ASO Stabilizing Ankle Orthosis

Bauerfeind MalleoLoc Ankle Brace

Lightweight ankle stability and is contoured to provide total control of
excessive roll over. It's made from a thermomolded plastic which can be
heated to make minor fitting adjustments.

Some consider this the most comfortable with the heat transfer feature.
Stabilizing ankle orthosis is specifically contoured to increase stability
without restricting mobility and is often the brace recommended by foot
doctors. The Bauerfeind is the pricier of the two. These come in LEFT
and RIGHT!

Get the Bauerfeind MalleoLoc Ankle Brace

See the SportsMedInfo.net
Bauerfeind Ankle Brace Review.

ASO Stabilizing Orthosis (ASO Ankle Brace)

Prevents ankle rollovers and provides stability. It is the original gold
standard of stabilizing orthosis category. The figure 8 lace up with
additional velcro closure at the top to maintain ankle stability.

This brace is often recommended by sports med doctors and Physical
Therapists. These fit either left or right. I would consider the ASO brace
THE BRACE for tennis players over the Bauerfeind simply because it
has a long track record of successfully protecting and preventing
rollover in this particular sport.

.

Get the ASO Ankle Brace


See the SportsMedInfo.net ASO
Ankle Brace Review

In an eight-year Bowman Gray study of 300 Wake Forest football players, the 48% who wore ankle braces for 656 player-years had only 43 sprains, says Dr. Monte Hunter.

But the 52% who chose tape to protect their ankles had 115 injuries over 678 player-years.

Injured players selecting the ankle-stabilizing orthosis got back on the field in a mean of six days, vs. eight days for those who preferred to use tape, he told the Southern Orthopaedic Association meeting here. Some crossed over.

The variable of high-top or low-top shoes was not significant.  Dr. Hunter ran the study during 1,466 practices and 89 games. 

Source Physician's Weekly-physiciansweekly.com by Judith Groch

Criteria for Choosing an Ankle Brace should be as follows:

1. Do not go too low. The brace should provide support and coverage all the way up above the malleolus (ankle bones). If you try and go for low profile ankle brace, you run the risk of twisting the ankle which is precisely what you get a brace to prevent in the first place.
2. A good ankle brace has vertical protection on the sides to provide support and protect the ankle from rolling over. This is can be in the form of stays, vertical plastic struts, shells, or nylon straps that are pulled upward and are attached to the sides of the brace. Stays are not mandatory if you have a figure 8 lace up brace.
3. A figure eight brace will stabilize the ankle on the athletic field.
4. Pull-on designs will not provide adequate protection for rollovers. A lace-up design or locking design often provides a more exact custom fit while pull-up designs may offer quicker fitting but offer less support and protection.