p-ISSN: 1300-0551
e-ISSN: 2587-1498

Zeliha Başkurt1, Sabriye Ercan2, Tuba İnce Parpucu1, Ferdi Başkurt1, Meriç Ünal3

1Süleyman Demirel University Faculty of Health Sciences, Dept. of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Isparta, Turkey
2Dr. Ersin Arslan Education and Research Hospital, Sports Medicine Department, Gaziantep, Turkey
3Süleyman Demirel University, Faculty of Medicine, Sports Medicine Department, Isparta, Turkey

Keywords: Kinesiotape, knee osteoarthritis, lower extremity, muscle strength, range of motion

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this prospective, randomized, controlled study is to determine the effect of kinesiotape on pain, range of motion, muscle strength and lower extremity functions in medial compartmental osteoarthritis patients.
Materials and Methods: Patients with medial compartmental knee osteoarthritis were participated in the study. They were randomized into two groups. While kinesiotaping was applied to the first group (n:23, six men, 17 women; age: 57.6±11.5 yrs; BMI: 28.8±4.3 kg/m2; 15 right, eight left knee), sham taping was applied to the second group (n:22, five men, 17 women; age: 61.1±7.0 yrs; BMI: 31.1±4.1 kg/m2; 13 right, nine left knee) twice, three days apart. Visual pain scale, knee range of motion, muscle strength measurements, and Lower Extremity Functional Scale scores were recorded at baseline, immediately following the first taping, three days and seven days later.
Results: Kinesiotape outperformed sham tape statistically significantly in the test parameters (p<0.05). The group differences were determined between baseline-7th day for activity pain (p=0.012); baseline-immediately following the first taping, baseline-3rd day, and baseline-7th day for range of motion and muscle strength; baseline-3rd day and baseline-7th day for Lower Extremity Functional Scale scoring (p=0.001). Sham tape induced positive results for activity pain and Lower Extremity Functional Scale (p<0.001).
Conclusions: Kinesiotape is a short-term treatment option that can be preferred for relieving pain, increasing knee joint flexion, strength of the thigh muscles, and lower extremity functions in patients with osteoarthritis.

Cite this article as: Baskurt Z, Ercan S, Parpucu TI, et al. Short term effects of kinesiotape application in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Turk J Sports Med. 2017;52:146-54.