Cristina Velasquez Ragnheidur Gardarsdottir Maxine Wyrwitzke Kara Landing
Ankle sprains are the most common injury in the world’s largest sport, soccer. The current prevention methods such as ankle braces are ineffective due to bulkiness, excessive movement, and lack of com..
Ankle sprains are the most common injury in the world’s largest sport, soccer. The current prevention methods such as ankle braces are ineffective due to bulkiness, excessive movement, and lack of comfort. Engineered for athletes, by athletes, an ankle brace was designed specifically for soccer players to limit inversion and eversion ankle sprains but allow natural range of motion. The specifications of the improved ankle brace are designed to allow the material properties to apply a restoring force as it reaches the exceeding ranges of motion for ankle sprains without hindering athletic performance. This brace is made to contain a geometric mesh design that combines the benefits of the classic ankle brace stirrup concept with 3D printing and modern material science to produce a customized ankle brace lighter, more malleable, and thinner than competitors and existing approaches while still allowing the athlete to perform at maximum potential. We hypothesize that the non-linear compliance of the brace will allow for a more natural range of motion than current on the market braces while also offering the athlete support while engaged in sport. the brace will aid in the dynamic movements of the ankle for prevention and rehabilitation of ankle sprains. The awarded funds would allow the ability to validate the design and the variables effecting the brace. The research conducted will be geared towards the evolution and analysis of the ankle brace for the prevention and rehabilitation of ankle sprains in four aims: 1) Tensile testing the 3D printed ankle brace to find all necessary material properties to find the best possible mesh and material for the ankle brace. 2) Test the ankle brace on soccer players while wearing an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) to compare performance of athletes with and without the 3D printed ankle brace. 3) 3D scan ankles using a portable 3D scanner. This would allow to gather dimensions of patients to adjust the sizing of the ankle brace so that each brace is customized to suit everyone's needs. 4) Lastly, disseminate findings through national and international conferences and peer reviewed journals. The ultimate objective is to improve and produce a useful ankle brace that contributes to the commercial market based on anatomy research, experimental testing, 3D printing, and material properties.