The Effects of a Therapeutic Patellofemoral Taping Technique on Open Kinetic Chain Knee Muscular Performance and Perceived Pain
Open Access
- Author:
- DeBellis, Nicholas Michael
- Area of Honors:
- Kinesiology
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Dr. Nicole M Mc Brier, Thesis Supervisor
Dr. Nicole M Mc Brier, Thesis Supervisor
Stephen Jacob Piazza, Thesis Honors Advisor
Giampietro Luciano Vairo, Faculty Reader - Keywords:
- patellofemoral pain syndrome
mcconnell technique
isokinetic knee musculature performance
perceived pain - Abstract:
- Context: Patellofemoral taping techniques are utilized in clinical orthopaedics for patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) patients. However, limited evidence demonstrates efficacy of this treatment on musculature performance. Objective: To investigate the effects of patellofemoral taping on muscular performance and perceived pain performing an open kinetic chain exercise. It was hypothesized taping would increase strength and endurance as well as decrease pain. Design: Pretest-posttest control group true experimental design. Setting: Controlled laboratory environment. Patients or Other Participants: Twenty (12 men, 8 women) patients diagnosed with acute unilateral PFPS by a sports medicine physician (age = 21.9 ± 4.0 years, height = 171.5 ± 10.1 cm, mass = 67.4 ± 8.7 kg, BMI 22.9 ± 1.5, Kujala score 80.3 ± 9.3) and twenty (12 men, 8 women) healthy matched controls (age = 21.5 ± 2.7 years, height = 171.4 ± 10.7 cm, mass = 69.0 ± 11.7 kg, BMI 23.3 ± 1.7). Participants with prior traumatic lower extremity injury were excluded. Interventions: The independent variable was a patellofemoral taping technique. Participants performed knee extension and flexion via isokinetic dynamometry. Strength and endurance were assessed at 60 °/s and 240 °/s respectively. Pain was measured using a visual analogue scale. Separate dependent and independent t-tests were calculated to determine within patient and between participant differences. Analyses were made amongst: involved to uninvolved patient knee; pre-tape involved to post-tape involved patient knee; patient post-tape involved to healthy matched control knee. Main Outcome Measures: Pre and post-tape measures were recorded for patients. A 48-hour rest period separated pre and post-tape testing. Randomization was applied to prevent an order effect. Controls performed one testing session. Dependent variables included extensor strength (peak moment, time to peak moment, angle of peak moment, peak moment at 0.2 s) and endurance (work) normalized to body weight (%BW). Results: Patients demonstrated significant deficits in the involved (201.4 ± 71.1 %BW) compared to uninvolved (217.4 ± 71.8 %BW) knee for peak moment (P=0.039). Total work increased post-tape (113.9 ± 33.9 %) compared to pre-tape (100.7 ± 28.6 %) for the involved knee (P=0.008). Patients demonstrated reduced pain post-tape (0.8 ± 1.0 cm) compared to pre-tape (2.0 ± 1.7 cm) for the involved knee (P=0.0002). No differences in time to peak moment were noted among all conditions. Conclusions: Our findings confirmed patients exhibited an extensor strength deficit in the involved compared to the uninvolved knee. Tape did not affect peak moment, time to peak moment, peak moment at 0.2 s or angle of peak moment. However, post-tape increased endurance as well as decreased pain compared to pre-tape for the involved knee. Further research is warranted to investigate taping effects on muscular performance for acute PFPS patients. Word Count: 442