Increased shoe bending stiffness changes ankle kinematics during high degree cutting movements

Lateral ankle sprains are the most common injuries in indoor and court sports. Stiff shoes have been hypothesized to influence the magnitude of ankle inversion and may place the foot at a higher risk for ankle injuries. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of shoe longitudinal bending stiffness on ankle kinematics during indoor and court sport-specific cutting movements. Biomechanical data from 19 participants were recorded via a motion capture system and a force plate. Cutting movements were performed in indoor shoes with different bending stiffness. High bending stiffness increased peak ankle inversion and ROM in the lateral cutting movement of 180 degrees, putting the participant at a higher risk for lateral ankle sprains. The reason for this might be a compensatory movement of the ankle caused by restricted mobility of the foot around its longitudinal axis.