Article

Fitness to drive a car has been investigated increasingly over recent
years. However, most research has focussed on perioperative driving performance,
and few data are available on how orthoses influence the ability to perform an
emergency stop. This study investigated the effect of 4 common ankle braces
(Kallassy, CaligaLoc, Air-Stirrup, ASO) on reaction time,
foot transfer time
(together: brake response time) and brake force. The hypothesis was that wearing
these braces on the right ankle impairs braking performance, specifically by
increasing foot transfer time,
but also by altering brake force. METHODS: A car
cabin was set up with measurement equipment to register reaction time, foot
transfer time, brake response time and brake force under realistic spatial
constraints. A crossover repeated measures design was used to test 30 healthy
volunteers with and without each of the braces. RESULTS: All 4 braces resulted in
statistically significantly increased foot transfer time
(p < 0.001), compared
with measurements without a brace. Reaction time with a brace was significantly
prolonged, with the exception of the Kallasy. Brake force was not statistically
significantly impaired. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that ankle braces
lead to impaired braking performance. Depending on the type of brace, a stopping
distance increase of more than 1 m at 100 km/h can be expected.

Langue : ANGLAIS