Smart brace could bring Lab-Grade gait analysis to the battlefield

NCT ID NCT07776223

This trial is taking on new participants right now.

First seen Aug 20, 2026 · Last updated Aug 21, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests a modified ankle brace with built-in motion sensors to see if it can accurately measure how people walk, run, jump, and climb stairs while wearing combat boots. Healthy adults aged 18-40 will perform these tasks both with and without the brace, and the brace's measurements will be compared to gold-standard lab equipment. The goal is to determine if the sensor-enabled brace is reliable enough for future clinical use in rehabilitation settings.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Sensor-enabled Athletic X Ankle Brace (sXAB) - a brace with built-in motion sensors
What this could lead to
If the brace proves accurate, it could become a portable tool for monitoring and rehabilitating ankle injuries in the field, reducing reliance on bulky lab equipment.
What could go wrong
This is an early validation study with only 40 healthy adults, so results may not apply to injured individuals. The brace's accuracy might not meet the 5% target, and it is not yet a proven treatment.

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Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 40 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

May 2026

Expected to finish

Sep 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 40 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Healthy adults: ages 18 - 40 years * considered "healthy to exercise" as determined by the physical activity readiness questionnaire (PAR-Q) * Classified as "moderate" or "high" activity level as defined by the scoring criteria of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Form (IPAQ) * Comfortably fit into combat boots provided by the laboratory (Men's sizes 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and Women's sizes 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 will be purchased, and so participants with foot lengths of 22.54-29.27.8 cm are expected to fit in the boots provided). Exclusion Criteria: * Smoking tobacco on a regular basis * Previous lower back or lower limb surgery (including the joints of the pelvis and lower limbs) * Musculoskeletal injury sustained within the 12-weeks prior to enrollment . A musculoskeletal injury is defined as musculoskeletal pain causing a reduction or stoppage of normal physical activity for at least 3 days within a 7-day period, and have not returned to their normal physical activity and exercise without pain for at least the last 6-weeks. * Pregnant (women only) * Current or history of an unresolved musculoskeletal, neurological, cardiovascular, pulmonary/respiratory, metabolic, renal condition, disease, or problem. * Torn anterior or posterior cruciate ligament (ACL or PCL). * Any other disease or problems that may affect movement or the ability to exercise even at a low intensity. * Identification of Functional Ankle Instability (IDFAI) score of \<11. * unable to comfortably perform the drop landing condition. * Feet are too large or too small to fit comfortably in the combat boots provided.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Indiana University, School of Public Health - Bloomington

    RECRUITING

    Bloomington, Indiana, 47405, United States

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