Hey there, Taylor Cropper from Bio Skin. In this video I want to show you some of the
unique features of the Trilok Ankle Brace and how it works to prevent and treat lateral
ankle sprains.
Before I show you how the TriLok works, let’s talk a little bit about ankle anatomy and
how ankle sprains happen.
The lateral complex of the ankle is made up of three ligaments, the Anterior Talo-Fibular
Ligament, or ATFL, the Calcaneo-Fibular Ligament, or CFL, and the Posterior Talo-Fibular Ligament,
or PTFL. Remember that ligaments attach bone to bone and are there to stabilize joints,
or in other words, they make sure our joints only bend in certain directions.
These particular ligaments prevent inversion of the ankle, or rolling the foot out, but
if you roll your ankle really hard, these are the ligaments that get sprained.
You also have two primary muscles that prevent inversion and allow you to evert your foot,
or lift the outside edge of your foot. These two muscles are called peroneus longus and
peroneus brevis. Peroneus brevis attaches to your fibula, low in your calf and quickly
turns into a tendon that wraps around the back of your ankle and attaches to the outside
of your foot at the base of the fifth metatarsal.
Peroneus longus attaches higher up on the fibula then follows the same path around the
back of your ankle, but then it wraps all the way under your sole and attaches to the
inside of your foot at the base of the first metatarsal. Together, we call these two muscle/tendon
structures the peroneals. The peroneals allow you to evert your foot and they decelerate
your foot during an unexpected inversion. They allow you to walk, run, and jump safely
and adjust to uneven surfaces.
These tendons have lots of leverage to control the foot and protect the ankle because they
attach all the way on the midfoot, especially peroneus longus because it wraps all the way
under the foot and attaches on the opposite side.
So now that you better understand how your ankle works, the design of the TriLok will
make more sense. The real secret weapon of the TriLok is the FootLok strap because it
mimics the design of your body.
The FootLok strap follows almost the exact path of the peroneals, attaching to the midfoot,
starting at the base of the first metatarsal crossing the sole of the foot, wrapping around
the base of the fifth metatarsal, and then attaching to the outside of the fibula. Pulling
up on the FootLok strap has the same effect as firing your peroneal muscles.
The non-elastic material of the strap holds up the outside edge of your foot and prevents
inversion which protects your lateral ligaments and the peroneal tendons. It’s a great example
of design inspired by anatomy.
Just like the peroneals, the FootLok strap gets extra leverage by attaching to the midfoot
instead of closer in to the ankle. What’s really cool is that it does this without adding
any bulk or stiffness around the front or back of the ankle so you can walk, run, and
jump normally.
After the FootLok strap, you add the stirrup strap. This strap attaches to the back of
the ankle, wraps around the foot, and up the sides of the ankle to provide extra stability
to both the lateral and medial sides of the ankle.
Finally, I want to show you the thin, soft, elastic material that makes up the undersleeve.
You’ll love the compression it provides to your foot. It’s nothing like the stiff
vinyl or canvas that lace-up ankle braces are made out of and so much thinner and more
comfortable than rigid, hinged braces.
The compression helps control swelling which is obviously very important after an ankle
sprain, but compression also improves proprioception, which is your body’s ability to sense where
it is in space, so it can actually help prevent injuries by making you more aware of your
own body. The fleece material on the inside of the sleeve is soft against the skin and
wicks away perspiration, plus the TriLok goes on and off fast because it uses Velcro straps
instead of laces that you have to rethread every time you put on your brace. The whole
brace is made of thin, light materials so it’s not bulky or hot, and it fits easily
into most shoes, even dress shoes or soccer cleats.
So whether you’re trying to recover from an ankle sprain, or trying to prevent one,
the TriLok ankle brace will give you the stability you need to stay active.