Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-06
PEOPLE WITH WEAK ANKLES.
They Would be Less Numerous If More
Laced Shoes were Worn.

They Would be Less Numerous If More
Laced Shoes were Worn.
During the last couple of years Washington
physicians have had their attention attracted
by the marked increase in the number of cases
OF injuries to the ankle coming to them for
treatment. Most of the sufferers have been
girls and women, and the injuries have
ranged in seriousness from simple strain or
sprain to fracture of the small bones of the leg
and rupture of the tendons.
in my practice during the last five or six
months, said young physician to STAR re-
porter, II have had no less than thirteen cases
OF injury to the ankle. This may not seem an
alarmingly large number, but when you come
to consider that my practice is small and that
am only one of a couple Of hundred doctors in
Washington, the aggregate of cases for the
whole town must be something enormous.
have no doubt that the other doctors would re-
port quite as many of this class of cases in pro-
portion to their practice as | do, for there
is no reason why people with injured ankles
should come to me rather than to any one else.
In TACT. l know that my experience is not ex-
ceptlonal from talking with other physicians.
who have had their attention turned to this
subject just as have had Then druggists
have spoken to me of the growing demand for
the big rubber bands which people with weak
ankles, or who have had their ankles injured,
use as supports l have talked with q number
OF druggists on the subject and they all tell the
same story. There actually seems to be sort
OF epidemic OF injuries to the ankle in WASH
ington."
Have you discovered the cause Of the
trouble!" the reporter inquired.
We'll, my own experience and what other
physicians and the druggists have told me
naturally set me to looking into the question
good of init ;nio
didn't seem able to offer any explanation of the
phenomenon. Neither did the druggists"
There's nothing lacking in the diet OF Wash
ington people or in the water and other bey-
eraSes we drink here that would tend to make
our bones weak, is there, DOCTOR" asked the
reporter. as a vague recollection came up in
his mind of reading somewhere about a COM
munlty IN which. owing to a lack of bone-form-
ing material in the soil, the people broke all
to pieces when they happened to fall or were
compelled to jump from any height.
THE REAL CAUSE.
The doctor smiled amusedly at the question.
mo, found an easier explanation than that, "
he continued, ''or at least think have. NY
belief is that the present style of foogear is en-
tireiy responsible for the trouble. The low-cut
and buttoned shoes now almost universally
worn by men as well as women give no support
whatever to the ankle. Worse still are the high
heeled slippers which are generally worn by la
dies with full dress. There has been an outcry
against the latter for years but think almost
as much mischief is done by the low-cut and
lligh-buttoned shoes that have not the high
heels. All of them leave the bones of the ankle
loose and without support"
What sort of shoes would you recommend?"
Tine old-fashioned laced shoe, which fits
snugly around the ankle and holds the bones
and muscles cOmpactly together at that joInt
When wearing these shoes you are much less
apt TO turn on your ankle, and if you should
happen to do so, the strain is distributed pretty
evenly all along the small bone up to the knees
and among the muscles and tendons at the
ankle. When the latter is left without artificial
support, the strain is thrown ON the small bone
OF the leg just above its articulation with the
foot. In nine cases out of ten, when this bone
IS fractured, 1t is at this spot, showing where
the greatest strain comes and the need of some
support which will keep the small bone well in
opposition to the large one.'
But why should there be special weakness
OF this part OF our anatomy" inquired The
STAR man.
Well, the causes of it are not as plain as
they might be-" the doctor answered Even
the medical books do not throw any light on
the subject. / have consulted a dozen works
for some hint at an explanation. but not one of
them gives it. 1t think it probable the
NEED OF AN ARTIFICIAL SUPPORT
for the ankle is due largely to degeneracy of
the muscles caused by the style of shoes the
moderns wear. All our shoes nowadays are
made with stiff shank under the ball of the
foot. This prevents to a very considerable ex-
tent the natural play of the bones of the foot.
and the adjacent muscles in consequence are
not used to extent that would fit them
for bearing any the extra strain in adj
dltion to that imposed by the weight OF the
body and the exertion of locomotion. Thus
when this part of our anatomy is left without
artificial support of some kind injuries are apt
to result. When patients come to me complain-
ing OF weak ankles or injuries to the ankle at
once inquire what sort of shoes they wear. In
almost every case i find they wear low-cut
shoes or buttoned CATERS, and that they used
to wear lace shoes few years ago. / at once
prescribe the old style laced shoe for cases of
this kind. 1t usually has the desired effect
without other treatment where the trouble was
merely weakness of the ankIesn