The effect of ankle Kinesio™ taping on ankle joint biomechanics during unilateral balance status among collegiate athletes with chronic ankle sprain

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the effects of ankle Kinesio-taping (KT) on postural sway, lower limb ROM, and muscle activity during a unilateral balance tasks.

Design: Case control study design.

Setting: Data were collected at the human movement analysis laboratory.

Participants: 30 collegiate athletes with chronic ankle sprain (11 females and 19 males, 23.91 ± 2.58 years).

Main outcome measure: Hip, knee and ankle joints ranges of motion (ROMs); postural sway area and velocities in both anteroposterior and mediolateral directions; and muscular activity amplitudes (% peak) of lateral and medial gastrocnemius, tibialis anterior and peroneus longus in a 20s single leg balance test in two non-taped (control) and KT (intervention) conditions.

Results: Significant decrease observed in ankle lateral ROM (p = 0.048, d = 0.52), mediolateral postural sway velocity (p = 0.029, d = 1.25), and peroneus longus activity amplitudes (p = 0.042, d = 0.55) after KT application.

Conclusion: Acute application of KT among athletes with chronic ankle instability could provide lateral mechanical support to the ankle, potentially decreasing the velocity of frontal plane sway, and decreasing the magnitude of muscle activation. These data suggest that KT may be beneficial for improving static joint stability among individuals with chronic ankle sprain, and thus could be considered an option to allow safe return-to-activity.

Keywords: Elastic therapeutic tapes; Range of motion; Surface EMG; Sway velocity.