TayCo Brace is 96% as Stable as a Walking Boot in a Kinetic State

SOUTH BEND, IND, 7.25.23: At the ankle joint, both the TayCo XAB Brace and orthopedic walking boot significantly reduced ankle motion relative to an unconstrained Shod (cross training running shoes) condition in all three planes – frontal (inversion/eversion), traverse (abduction/adduction), and sagittal (dorsi/plantar flexion) – when walking and negotiating stairs. 

The walking boot resulted in different knee and hip movement patterns than both the TayCo XAB and Shod, altering gait. The findings are published in a Biomechanics Research Study by Clark Dickin, Director of Biomechanics Laboratory and Associate Professor of Exercise Science at Ball State University.

Dickins and colleagues analyzed data from 37 total subjects, segmented by younger and older adults. Tasks were assessed using overground walking and stair ascent and descent on a 3-step staircase for each of the three ankle support conditions. Motion data was captured via a 15-camera, 3D-motion system, collected using Vicon Nexus, and processed using Visual-3D. 

The authors found that both the XAB and walking boot were able to control ankle motion in all three planes similarly. In terms of overall motion of the lower extremity, the TayCo XAB allowed participations to walk and climb stairs with equivalent amounts of motion in the hip and knee to the Shod condition. Conversely, while the walking boot was able to control ankle motion it also required participants to alter motion at the hip and knee in at least one plane of motion for all three types of motion assessed. 

This suggests that relative to a walking boot, TayCo XAB provides comparable ankle stability and reduced risk of secondary site pain due to changes in gait when walking and negotiating stairs.