Compensatory Effects of Joint Bracing From a Kinetic Chain Perspective: Lower Limb Movement Coordination Analysis During Badminton Lunge Movements

This study investigated ankle, knee, and hip joint movement coordination during brace use via a lower-limb kinematic chain approach, which may influence biomechanical factors associated with injury risk. Twenty badminton players performed a left forecourt kick lunge under four brace conditions. Kinematic and kinetic data were collected using a motion capture system (Qualisys Arqus A12, 200 Hz) and force plates (Kistler 569×, 1000 Hz). A one-way repeated-measures ANOVA was applied for statistical analysis. At initial contact, elastic ankle brace use reduced ankle inversion angle (p = 0.001) and knee varus angle (p = 0.010) compared to the no-brace condition. The use of a sleeve-type knee brace increased knee varus angle (p = 0.041) and knee varus moments (p < 0.001), while decreasing hip eversion moments (p = 0.006). Combined ankle and knee bracing increased knee varus angle (p = 0.009). The use of elastic ankle and sleeve-type knee braces was associated with condition-dependent changes in stability and inter-joint coordination due to the kinetic chain linking the hip, knee, and ankle. Protecting one joint may reflect compensatory adjustments in adjacent joints, which may have implications for brace selection. These findings should be interpreted cautiously in relation to injury prevention.