This is a transcript of a Dr. Jay Show broadcast on 1560TheGame in Houston, TX. Dr. J. Michael Bennett is a Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon and a Fellowship Trained Sports Medicine Physician serving patients from Katy, Fort Bend County, Metro Houston and Southeast Texas from offices in Richmond and Sugar Land, TX. Dr Bennett is will begin to see patients at a new office in Houston on May 3, 2012. Call 281-633-8600 for an appointment. Our special guest is Dr. Mark Vann, a Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon specializing in foot and ankle injuries.
Here’s the transcript of the fifth portion of the Show:
BENNETT: Another thing I run into a lot in my patient population is bracing. I think a lot of times it’s a psychological component, especially with our football players. Some guys are like, “I have a history of an ankle sprain and I just feel better when I’ve got my braces on and when I’m out there playing I feel the need to have a brace on.” My personal opinion on that is unless you have a structural deficiency – meaning you have a ligament injury or tear that is creating some kind of instability, in which case bracing might be helpful – bracing can actually hinder you because those muscles that help stabilize that ankle joint are going to actually become weak and you are more likely to twist your ankle when you aren’t using that brace. What’s your opinion on bracing, Dr. Vann, in regards to whether or not to use it?
VANN: I couldn’t agree with you more. That is my exact protocol for the high school kids who use braces because they just want to look like the pros – because a lot of those guys are injured and beat up and wearing the braces. If you do not have a structural problem, meaning you do not have any ankle instability – and this is something I check using both a physical exam and what we call stress X-rays which check the stability of the ligaments – I really don’t see the benefit other than psychological to using any form of ankle bracing on a routine basis.
BENNETT: You definitely don’t want those braces taking away from the body’s own ability to stabilize the joint. Now that’s a little bit different then when you have someone who’s had multiple surgeries or a beat-up joint like you mentioned before. If that’s the case, I think bracing does make a difference in the ankle and I see this occasionally in volleyball and basketball players that have had surgery before. Keep that in the back of your mind if you’re using braces and you really don’t have an ankle problem. It may just be a matter of strengthening and conditioning and getting those fast-twitch muscle fibers firing, getting your reaction time going better, learning some appropriate landing strategies particularly with sports like basketball and volleyball, and that can actually be done in a facility where they do sports-specific training and that can make a big difference in avoiding injuries.
If you have a question about sports medicine or orthopedics, please call Dr. Bennett’s office for an appointment at 281-633-8600.
