Comparison of Shear Forces in High-Top and Low-Top Basketball Shoes During Lateral Cutting Movements

摘要

Literature exists examining the effect of athletic shoe design on ankle sprains, specifically ankle inversion angles (Barrett u26 Bilisko, 2012). However, no studies were found that examined either shoe design’s effect on the forces that occur at the ankle joint from lateral cutting maneuvers. The purpose of this current study is to measure the shear forces on the ankle during lateral cutting movements that are consistent with ankle inversions among high-top and low-top basketball shoes. It was hypothesized that there would be a greater amount of force on the ankle in low-top basketball shoes. Data was collected on two participants, one wearing a low-top shoe, and the other high-top. Kinematic data was collected via an 8-camera Vicon Nexus motion capture system (120 Hz) and kinetic data was collected via two in-ground AMTI force plates (2,400 Hz), on a lateral cutting movement commonly used in basketball. An independent T-test tested for significant differences in ankle joint force between HT and LT basketball shoes. No significant difference was found (p u3e 0.05). Data suggests that while each shoe design relies on different support mechanisms, neither design of shoe decreases the amount of force on the ankle’s anatomical structure.