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Chronic ankle instability (CAI) causes impairment in proprioception, such as ankle joint position sense and plantar cutaneous sensation. Although plantar vibration stimulation may be effective as a means of enhancing proprioception, its efficacy remains ambiguous. This study aimed to clarify the immediate effects of plantar vibration stimulation on healthy athletes and athletes with CAI. Eight healthy and eight CAI athletes participated in this study, and their joint position sense and cutaneous sensation were evaluated before and after the intervention of plantar vibration stimulation or non-intervention, designed as a cross-over study. There were no significant differences between the healthy group and the CAI group in both joint position and plantar cutaneous sensation. Also, there were no statistically significant changes in either group before or after the intervention. One possible explanation for the absence of differences between the healthy and CAI groups could be attributed to a high Foot and Ankle Ability Measure score. Neither group exhibited any changes in joint position or plantar cutaneous sensation following the vibration intervention. The frequency and amplitude of the vibration stimulation affecting proprioceptors may be different, and the joint position and plantar cutaneous sensation of CAI groups may be comparable with those of healthy participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ankle brace is commonly used to treat and prevent ankle sprain. Its main aim is to restrict supination of the ankle. However, some braces restrict ankle dorsiflexion and plantar flexion. In addition, loosening and loss of restriction after exercise have also been reported. The purpose of this study was to reveal if thin-type ankle brace for ankle sprain restricts ankle dorsiflexion and plantar flexion and its effect of exercise. Five male adults (average age of 30.8 ± 5.2 years) were included in the study. Dorsiflexion and plantar flexion of subjects' right ankle was measured before and after wearing the brace, and before and after exercises. Exercises consisted of performing 20 times of calf raise, full squat, maximum vertical jump, and 5-minute running on a treadmill. Measurement was performed thrice, and their average was statistically analyzed between with and without the brace, and before and after each exercise. The results showed that there was no significant difference between all measured angles of with and without the brace and before and after each exercise. Thin-type ankle brace for ankle sprain have been reported to restrict supination. Considering our results, this brace does not restrict ankle dorsiflexion and plantar flexion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]