Lace bite

Lace bite

Lace bite is an irritation of the tibialis anterior and toe extensor tendons. ^[1] The medical term for the condition is "tibialis anterior tendinopathy." ^[2] This irritation, felt on the front of the foot or ankle, is often experienced by ice hockey players and figure skaters. It is caused by friction between the tendon and tongue of the ice skate. ^[1]

Signs and symptoms

Common symptoms of lace bite include: ^[3]

• Pain, tenderness, and swelling where the front of the ankle meets the foot
• Discomfort with ankle motion, especially when pulling the foot up or turning it inward
• A cracking sound when the front of the foot or ankle is moved or touched

Treatment

Prevention and treatment options for lace bite include: ^[4]

• Tying the skate's laces outside-in instead of inside-out
• Adjusting the skate's tongue position
• Using a gel pad that covers the irritated section of the foot and ankle
• Icing the foot and ankle after skating

Purpose-built socks also exist specifically for use with ice skates which contain padded areas around the typical friction points.

See also

• Sports injury
• Ice hockey
• Ice skating

References

1. Porter, Emily B.; Young, Craig C.; Niedfeldt, Mark W.; Gottschlich, Laura M. (September 2007). "Sport-specific injuries and medical problems of figure skaters". WMJ. 106 (6): 330–334. ISSN   1098-1861. PMID   17970015.
2. Levitsky, Matthew M.; Vosseller, James Turner; Popkin, Charles A. (9 Mar 2020). "Lace bite: A review of tibialis anterior tendinopathy in ice hockey players" . Translational Sports Medicine. 3 (4): 296–299. doi: 10.1002/tsm2.152 . ISSN   2573-8488. S2CID   216389138.
3. "Sports Medicine: Anterior Tibialis Tendonitis". www.nationwidechildrens.org. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
4. "Spending a Year Testing Lace Bite Treatments for Hockey". Lace Bite Nerd. Retrieved 2022-10-20.

Further reading

• Han, Julie S.; Geminiani, Ellen T.; Micheli, Lyle J. (2018). "Epidemiology of Figure Skating Injuries: A Review of the Literature". Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach. 10 (6): 532–537. doi:10.1177/1941738118774769. ISSN   1941-7381. PMC   6204632 . PMID   29738281.
• Tlougan, Brook E.; Mancini, Anthony J.; Mandell, Jenny A.; Cohen, David E.; Sanchez, Miguel R. (2011). "Skin Conditions in Figure Skaters, Ice-Hockey Players and Speed Skaters: Part I – Mechanical Dermatoses". Sports Medicine. 41 (9): 709–719. doi:10.2165/11590540-000000000-00000. ISSN   0112-1642.