2,200 Mile Review of the ARYSE IFAST Exoskeleton Ankle Braces
Militaries around the globe are researching exoskeletons to improve the performance and prevent injuries among their soldiers. While many will envision massive powered exoskeletons when envisioning the future, lightweight passive exoskeletons like the ARYSE IFASTs may be a more innovative course. Originally designed for athletic injury prevention, the ARYSE Internal Functional Anatomic Stabilizing Technology (IFAST) is a lightweight polyurethane exoskeleton that provides extra reinforcement to the ankle’s ligament system.
Given that lower extremity injuries account for 40% of non-combat evacuations, technologies like ARYSE IFASTs may be critical in preserving combat power and military readiness. With service members encountering more than 627,000 lower extremity injuries per year, technologies like the ARYSE IFAST have the potential to reduce the cost of military medicine by tens of million dollars while recovering millions of duty days. Additionally, ARYSE IFASTs could recover millions of dollars in training cost due to repeated ankle injuries that often end military careers.
I started testing a pair of ARYSE IFASTs in December of 2020 during the course of my personal marching routine. I use marching or “rucking” as a form of Stoic Toughening Training by taking short marches a few times a week and longer quarterly marches that often range above 40 miles. Over the last couple years, I have worn the ARYSE IFASTs in single-day marches up to 62 miles (100km) long and used them in marching competitions such as the 18.6 mile (30km) Norwegian Foot March. In total, I have worn the same pair of ARYSE IFAST with three different pairs of boots and have covered more than 2,200 miles. I would like to share some of my experiences with the IFASTs.
Moisture
As mentioned earlier, the IFASTs were originally designed to prevent athletic injuries. The original designed called for a neoprene sleeve that would help keep the ankle joint warm during activity in athletic shoes (IFAST in original configuration displayed above). However, when warn inside combat boots, this sleeve trapped moisture and blocked the vents of my boots resulting in blisters. Working with ARYSE, the neoprene sleeve was removed and a couple different pads were provided to prevent the back of the hardware rivets from becoming pressure points. The final pad design they supplied padded the upper cuff and was attached with 3M tape. At first I had doubts of the durability of this solution, but the pads haven’t moved in the last 1,600 miles (image below, pads are available from ARYSE on request). With the neoprene sleeve removed, the moisture problem was resolved and IFASTs never caused another blister. I found the IFASTs to be very comfortable to the point I would forget I was wearing them.
Wear
The ARYSE IFAST has definitely demonstrated itself to be durable. The polyurethane frame shows little wear other than slight discoloration. The cables for the artificial ligament support have worn through the outer layer or “kern” but show no wear to the internal “mantle” of the cable. The metal hardware displays some wear and corrosion. The thin metal eyelets often bend slightly out of round requiring some force to separate the upper d-rings. While ARYSE could look into a more durable or corrosion resistant hardware (like stainless steel), the cost is likely to exceed the functional return. The corrosion present on my IFASTs do not interfere with the function of the brace.
Unlike Other Braces
The ARYSE IFAST does not weaken the ankle nor limit the natural range of motion. The artificial ligament support only engages toward the limits of the natural range of motion providing support when needed but otherwise allows the body to function normally. I have had only one experience of feeling the artificial ligaments engage. I was rucking in a snowstorm and lost track of the edge of the path. I stepped partially off the concrete trail and struggled to stay upright to prevent falling into a rocky creek. I cannot definitively say the IFASTs prevented and injury or kept me out of the creek but I was grateful to be wearing them. I was not in an easily accessible part of the trail and could not have simply called Uber to be rescued. The cost of a set of IFASTs is far cheaper than medical treatment and emergency response crews.
Future Design
The ARYSE IFASTS has been well received in military testing and has been adapted by the Army Health and Holistic Fitness (H2F) program. With the significant protection the IFASTs provides for such little weight, I imagine this technology will soon spread across military units that are depended on their ability to cover rough terrain or engage in airborne operations. ARYSE is currently prototyping and improved military design expected to be released to market in April 2024.
Charity
One of the greatest things I appreciate about ARYSE is their willingness to give back to the community. Below is a list of discount codes for their products that will provide 10% off for purchasers. An additional 15% of the purchase price will be donated to the charity selected. These codes have helped to generate hundreds of dollars in donation to provide housing for families of injured service members (Fisher House), and support the mental health of veterans (HorseBackUK provides a horse-based program focused on veterans with “life-changing injuries and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder” and Wounded Warrior Canada is seeking to prevent psychological injuries in front-line responders through the Before Operational Stress (BOS) Program).
For those interested in purchasing an ARYSE IFAST, they are available at: https://aryse.com/product/ifast/
Conclusion
The ARYSE IFAST represent a remarkable advancement in ankle injury protection. These lightweight braces, that do not weaken the ankle, provide the opportunity to drastically decrease ankle injuries for those that engage in high-intensity activities over rough terrain. The ARYSE IFAST has demonstrated itself to be a valuable piece of equipment with the durability to handle military operations. This affordable piece of technology will go far in protecting and improving the readiness of military members.
The views presented are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Defense or its components.
