Acute Effects of kinesiotaping on Pain and Muscle Strength in Individuals with Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear

Abstract Objective Limited data are available regarding the effects of application of kinesiology tape (KT) on pain and muscular strength in individuals with complete anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the short-term effects of KT on knee pain and maximal strength. Materials and Methods 25 subjects were divided into two groups: a) the control group participants (n=11) were without ACL-tear; and b) the experimental group participants (n=14) were with ACL-tear. Participants in the experimental group were tested under two conditions: with and without KT. Pain was recorded using the visual analog scale, isometric and concentric maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs) were measured using dynamometry, and limb symmetry index was calculated. Results Application of KT causes reduction in pain by 50 % (p<0.05), increases knee flexors and knee extensors isometric MVC and knee extensor concentric MVC at 60°/s angular velocity (p<0.05), and improves limb symmetry (p<0.05), but deficit of MVC as compared to healthy controls is maintained (p<0.05). Conclusions Short-term KT can be an effective tool for decreasing ACL-tear associated pain and muscle weakness.