FA864924P1104

Small Technology Transfer Research Program (STTR) Phase II

Expeditionary Triage Ankle Brace

MSKI affects 800,000 military service members, leading to 2.2 million medical visits, 25 million lost duty days, and approximately $3.7 Billion in health care costs. Up to 82% of physical training injuries occur in the lower extremities with ankle injuries in particular occurring 5x more often in the military population than their civilian counterparts. There are more than 1.5 million service member ankle injuries each year making it the second most common MSKI. Overuse musculoskeletal injury is the leading medical diagnosis among basic military trainees and the leading cause of attrition from U.S. Air Force Basic Military Training (BMT). Specifically, injuries to the ankle-foot complex account for one the highest proportions of MSKIs in conventional and special warfare trainees. Currently, $43.6 million is lost each year due to Basic Military Training (BMT) failures. Depending on the severity of the ankle injury, rehabilitation times can extend across weeks, months, and even years impacting downstream training pipelines. Keeping Air Force Special Warfare (AFSPECWAR) trainees on-time in their training pipeline is essential and could save over $100 million annually, and DoD research shows that investing just $154,500 into ankle bracing technology alone will immediately save the military $7.4 million per year. TayCo Brace, Inc. has pioneered a functional alternative to the standard walking boot most injured service members receive after an ankle injury. TayCo's external ankle brace (XAB) expedites functional recovery following ankle and hindfoot injuries keeping service members in the fight by getting them back to training up to 4x faster than a walking boot. Born from real-life experience treating injured collegiate athletes, the TayCo XAB is a hinged-stirrup brace applied outside the shoe which offers quick application options during high-intensity and fast-paced activities where downtime is not an option unlike conventional lace-up ankle braces worn inside the shoe. TayCo will develop a first-of-its-kind one-size-fits-all external ankle brace (One-Size XAB) which will transform the delivery of TayCo's current external ankle brace, allowing medics to easily carry it in their bags for instant ankle injury triage and treatment in the field. The resulting technology will reduce the current 8 braces required to fit all shoe sizes (four sizes left, four sizes right) into just 2 braces (one left, one right) capable of fitting over at least 90% of standard shoe sizes while maintaining the same structural integrity to limit inversion/eversion motion at the ankle which TayCo users have come to expect and appreciate.

The goal of phase II is to continue the R&D efforts initiated in Phase I. Funding is based on the results achieved in Phase I and the scientific and technical merit and commercial potential of the project proposed in Phase II. STTRs are completed in conjunction with a research institution.

Ball State University

AFX23E-TPCSO1

FX23E-TPCSO1-0056

X23.E

Meghan Scott