2015 ISAKOS Biennial Congress ePoster #1109

Do Proprioceptive Sleeves and Prophylactic Knee Braces Effect Neuromuscular Control and Athletic Performance?

Seth L. Sherman, MD, Redwood City, California UNITED STATES
Blake M. Bodendorfer, MD, Omaha, NE UNITED STATES
Gary Stover, Columbia, MO UNITED STATES
Christopher James, MD, Columbia, MO UNITED STATES
Nicholas Arnold, MD, Columbia, MO UNITED STATES
John Krumme, MD, Columbia, MO UNITED STATES
Aaron Gray, MD, Columbia, MO UNITED STATES
University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA

FDA Status Not Applicable

Summary: Neoprene sleeves and prophylactic braces effect both neuromuscular control and athletic performance in healthy, active participants. Specifically, both reduce dynamic valgus and hip internal rotation during DVJ ,and reduce knee torque during 45 bound maneuver. There is no difference between the sleeve or brace for any tested parameter.

Abstract:

Introduction

Athletes commonly wear neoprene sleeves (NS) and prophylactic knee braces (PKB). There is limited data on the effect of these sleeves and braces on neuromuscular control and athletic performance. Additionally, it is unclear if the use of these products plays any role in reducing the risk of knee injury in athletes. The goal of this investigation is to critically evaluate the effect of NS and PKB on neuromuscular control and athletic performance in an active, healthy population.

Methods

Ten healthy participants (5 males and 5 females) without prior musculoskeletal injury were recruited to participate in the study. These participants were asked to perform a drop vertical jump (DVJ) and a 45 degree bound under three conditions: No brace, NS, PKB. The DVJ was used as a surrogate to measure neuromuscular control and the 45 degree bound as a surrogate for athletic performance. Each participant performed these tasks in three separate sessions to minimize fatigue. Markerless motion-capture technology was utilized to obtain data points. For the DVJ, knee flexion, internal rotation at the hip, and dynamic valgus were measured during both contact and loading phases of the dominant knee. For the 45 degree bound, torque was measured during the initial movement to dominant and non-dominant knee. Statistics were calculated using a two-tailed Student’s t-test and were accepted as significantly different if p values were < 0.05.

Results

For the DVJ contact and loading phases, all parameters (knee flexion, hip internal rotation, dynamic valgus) were significantly reduced (p<0.05) compared to control for participants wearing both neoprene sleeves and PKB. There was no significant difference between the neoprene sleeve and PKB during the DVJ.

For the 45 degree bound, knee torque was significantly reduced for subjects wearing both neoprene sleeves and PKB (p<0.01) versus controls. On initial movement to the dominant side, knee torque was reduced by 26.7% with NS and 31% with PKB. There was no significant difference between NS and PKB during this maneuver.

Discussion

NS and PKB have a significant effect on neuromuscular control and athletic performance in healthy,athletic participants. Specifically, these both have been shown to reduce dynamic valgus and hip internal rotation during a DVJ, and decrease knee torque during 45 degree bound maneuver. Dynamic valgus and hip internal rotation during DVJ are well established risk factors for knee ligament injury. However, the effects of NS and PKB on relative risk reduction for knee injury are unknown, and require further investigation.