MetaCal™

Ankle and Forefoot Stabilization Brace

       Small - FS-166S          Medium - FS-166M         Large - FS-166L          X-Large - FS-166XL

            $36.00                             $36.00                           $36.00                             $36.00                

More on the MetaCal™.....

The genesis of the MetaCal Ankle and Forefoot Stabilization Brace™ came about through 85 years of the design team's experience.  The design team consists of Physical Therapists, Bio-engineer, and orthopedic soft good manufacturing. This team launched the developmental phase of the MetaCal Ankle and Forefoot Stabilization Brace™ with a united strategic goal of creating an ankle stabilization device which would reduce the incidence and/or severity of ankle injuries.

The design team members are also owners of The Sports Medicine Stores, a unique retail operation open since 1994.  The stores focus on orthopedic soft goods plus foot and ankle devices.  Statistically, the stores have produced over 14,000 pair of custom orthotics and thousands of additional pairs of off-the-shelf orthotics and ankle bracing devices.  This orthotic retail experience provided an unparalleled wealth of technical knowledge and expertise in the management of foot and ankle conditions, supplementing the biomechanical knowledge to develop the efficacious and user friendly MetaCal Ankle and Forefoot Stabilization Brace™.

In the year 2000, The Sports Medicine Store vertically integrated into the manufacturing of orthopedic soft goods, ranging from products for the neck, elbow, wrist, back, thigh, calf, knee and ankle.  This operation provided extensive experience in material testing and selection, product development, prototyping, and product performance testing. 

The culmination of decades of clinical experience, sports medicine retailing, and sports medicine manufacturing illuminated the way to create a device that would effectively address biomechanical and user friendly product needs that are incorporated in the MetaCal Ankle and Forefoot Stabilization Brace™.

In launching the product development phase of the MetaCal Ankle and Forefoot Stabilization Brace™, the design team unanimously agreed the key to developing an effective biomechanical ankle device, the device must incorporate forefoot control (i.e. taping technique) accompanied by a heel locking mechanism.  By incorporating these two essential design features, the MetaCal Ankle and Forefoot Stabilization Brace™ is the first ankle device to position the foot in a safe subtalar neutral position, controlling the forefoot from excessive pronation and supination forces, and permit normal dorsal and plantarflexion throughout the gait cycle.

Currently, U.S. patents and globally marketed ankle brace technology are design modifications on the same theme, a theme which addresses only a partial biomechanical cause for ankle injuries, by merely locking the ankle. Competitive product designs are historically a slip-on, lace-up, and/or ankle stirrup device, with or without side reinforcement components, which is secured by two or more ankle straps, secured around the heel only, via figure eight strapping techniques.

This dated technology fails to comprehend or duplicate the time tested “Gold Standard” of taping, since unlike taping it does not address control of the forefoot.  Without control of both the ankle and forefoot, the forefoot will biomechanically excessively pronate and/or supinate, leaving the foot in a vulnerable position at impact.

Taping, while addressing both the ankle and forefoot when applied correctly, is costly in material, very expensive when labor costs are applied, time consuming to apply and remove, not reusable, and can rapidly loosen with heat build up in a shoe due to the degradation of the glue component of the tape.

The end result of in depth product development and testing is the MetaCal Ankle and Forefoot Stabilization Brace™, the first and only device to correctly position the entire foot (heel and forefoot) in a correct position, to safely permit maximum gait load forces whether walking, running or during athletic performance.  In summary, the design team’s goal to produce an ankle device that can reduce the incidence and/or severity of ankle injuries was accomplished.

Incremental to the two key bioengineering design features, the MetaCal Ankle and Forefoot Stabilization Brace™ incorporates the following user friendly features:

• Bilateral torque counterforce straps, positioned approximately at the distal end of the 1^st and 5^th metatarsals of the forefoot extended to criss-cross over the dorsal aspect of the foot, flowing to grasp beneath the heel, then extend upward to attach bilaterally on the medial and lateral superior aspects of the ankle portion of the brace, managing the entire foot and ankle complex.

• Uniquely engineered to fit either a right or left foot

• Slips on and fits comfortably like a contoured sock

• Easy and fast closure mechanism, for secure closure and speed in placement or removal from the foot

• Superiorly positioned closure mechanism, designed to maintain circumferential integrity of the brace and is the mechanism for the bilateral torque straps to be secured to

• Produced from Grade A neoprene and 900 grade hook and loop closure materials for maximum wear integrity and comfort

• Heat sealed seams for both strength and wear comfort throughout the brace

• Available in four sizes for precise fit for a women’s shoe size 5 to a men’s shoe size 14

The MetaCal Ankle and Forefoot Stabilization Brace™ is a paradigm in ankle bracing and can set a global standard of excellence in prophylactic and post-injury ankle bracing. 

Additionally, with the introduction of the MetaCal Ankle and Forefoot Stabilization Brace™, a functional ankle brace, for the first time, can realistically replace taping.  This opens a significant opportunity, since taping is costly and requires trained personnel to apply.  It is estimated that the average cost to tape an athlete, in material cost alone, is in excess of $100.00 per year, per athlete, per athletic activity. This cost can represent a significant cost for disposable products for a high school or college program. Now, the MetaCal Ankle and Forefoot Stabilization Brace™ can accomplish the same goal as taping, but can last for up to several player seasons!