Background: Anterior knee pain is a clinical syndrome characterized by pain experienced perceived over the anterior aspect of the knee that can be aggravated by functional activities such as stair climbing and squatting. Two taping techniques commonly used for anterior knee pain in the clinic include the McConnell Taping Technique (MT) and the Kinesio Taping® Method (KT®).
Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of KT® and the MT versus no tape in subjects with anterior knee pain during a squat lift and stair climbing.
Design: Pretest- posttest design.
Participants: A total of 20 subjects (15 female, 5 male) with unilateral anterior knee pain were recruited. The mean age of the subjects was 24 (+/-3) years, with a mean weight of 160 (+/-28) pounds.
Methods: Each participant was tested during two functional activities; a squat lift with a weighted box (10% of his/her body weight, plus the weight [8.5 pounds] of the box) and stair climbing under three conditions: 1) no tape, 2) MT and 3) KT®. Pain levels were assessed (verbally) using the 0-10 Numeric Pain Intensity Scale.
Results: The median (interquartile range [IQR]) pain during squat lift was 2 (2.75) for no tape, 1 (1) for KT®, and 0.5 (2) for McConnell, with no significant differences between the groups. During the stair activity the median (IQR) pain was 1.5 (2.75) for no tape, 1 (1.75) for KT®, and 1 (1.75) for MT with a significant difference (p=0.024) between the groups. Further analysis determined that the only a significant difference was (p=0.034) between the no tape and the KT® conditions.
Conclusion: The results of this study found that both the KT® and the MT may be effective in reducing pain during stair climbing activities.
Level of evidence: Level 2, Prospective Cohort study.
Keywords: Anterior Knee Pain; Kinesio Taping® Method; McConnell Taping Technique.