Immediate Effects of Patella Taping in Individuals with Knee Osteoarthritis

Kim, Hee Sang; Kim, Min Jung; Ahn, Kyung Hoi; Lee, Jong Ha; Kim, Dong Hwan; Kim, Hak Jun; Jung, Yong Seol

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effects of patella taping on pain and disability in symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA). METHOD: Using a within-subjects study design, 54 patients were tested under three conditions in random order: untaped, wearing therapeutic knee tape and wearing control knee tape. Outcome measure was pain as measured by visual analogue scale and disability as measured by walking speed, timed up and go test, and step test.
RESULTS
The therapeutic tape significantly reduced pain, when compared with the control and untaped conditions (p<0.05). Also significant improvement in disability was observed on timed up and go test and step test in therapeutic tape compared with the control and untaped conditions (p<0.05). But there was no significant difference on walking speed among three conditions (p>0.05). A significant association between change of pain in stairs and lateral patellofemoral joint space was evident (r=0.503, p<0.05).
CONCLUSION
Therapeutic knee tape is a simple, inexpensive strategy that increases the treatment options for therapists and patients in the conservative management of knee OA.