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ASSESSING THE EFFECT OF ANKLE TAPING IN AMATEUR FIGURE SKATERS PERFORMING A DIP

Abstract

Ankle range of motion (ROM) restriction through boot taping has emerged as a prevalent practice among competitive figure skaters and is thought to enhance stability. However, the biomechanical implications of this technique on both ankle mechanics and more proximal kinetic chain effects are unstudied. The Dip, a fundamental figure skating element requiring substantial ROM, presents an ideal standardized movement for evaluating the impact of these modifications on performance. Purpose: To assess the impact of circumferential ankle taping on a figure skater’s lower extremity kinematics during a Dip on synthetic ice. Methods: A crossover design was used to assess the effect of a circumferential tape (CT) on Dip kinematics. Figure skaters with at least one year of experience and ownership of their own figure skating boots participated (n=10, height: 154.3 ± 12.5, mass: 52.5 ± 19.8, age: 15.9 ± 6.3). Participants were gathered from a convenience sample of figure skaters with a minimum age of 7 and at least one year of figure skating experience. After a standardized warmup, and a familiarization period with the synthetic ice, each skater performed 7 Dips on the synthetic ice under two conditions: CT and non-taped (NT). Condition order alternated between participants. Duct tape was applied by the same figure skating coach for each participant. Trunk and lower extremity kinematic data were collected using nine inertial measurement unit sensors. Comparisons between conditions were analyzed via group and single subject Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) t-tests (α = 0.05). Kinematic variables for the SPM t-tests were analyzed from 30º before to 30º after peak knee flexion and interpolated to 101 data points. Results: There were no significant group differences between conditions for any sagittal or frontal plane kinematics. The single subjects analyses support a lack of differences between the two conditions as no variable demonstrated more than 30% of participants with a difference. Conclusion: The lack of significant findings indicate that a CT does not impact lower extremity and trunk kinematics during a Dip. These findings should be substantiated during other skating maneuvers that may place more stress on frontal plane kinematics. It should also be noted that these results are preliminary with further data pending.

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