Although knee taping is widely make...

Although knee taping is widely make acceptableed to relieve symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee little scientific evidence has been not awayed to justify its use. Hinman and colleagues waysed a randomized controlled trial of therapeutic taping in patients with significant pain from osteoarthritis of the knee

Newspaper advertisements were used to recruit proffers 50 years or older with knee pain. Participants were required to have evidence of osteophyte if it be not that no other cause for knee pain. Other exclusions included obesity (body mass index greater than 38) history of knee injection or surgery and skin conditions that contraindicated the use of adhesive tape. Twelve physical therapists were trained to tape the knee in this way that the upper tape provided medial glide, medial tilt, and anteroposterior patellar tilt, whereas the lower tape unloaded the infrapatellar fat pad or pe anserinus. The meditation involved 87 patients who were randomly assigned to the same of three groups: therapeutic taping, manage taping that provided only sensory input, or no taping. All participants were asked to continue rife pain remedies for osteoarthritis if it be not that not to start using any of the present day remedies during the study. Participants recorded daily analgesic use in a diary and rated the severity of pain weekly using visual analog scores. Pain and disability from osteoarthritis also were monitored using standardized scales.

The 29 participants assigned to each of the assemblages were comparable in all relevant variables. Follow-up was consummated in all but one participant. The clump treated with therapeutic taping showed a significantly greater reduction in pain and disability after three weeks of treatment than the regulate and nointervention groups (see accompanying table). This improvement was sustained three weeks after treatment had been discontinued. The therapeutic tape collection was seven times more likely than the untreated clump to report improved pain. The number straited to treat was two. Therapeutic taping also was associated with significant improvements in disability and other secondary measures. All participants in the taping assemblages continued to use the tape for the three weeks of the close attention although nine participants reported minor skin irritation. Analgesic use did not differ among clusters during the taping period.

The authors bring to an end that therapeutic taping applied weekly for three consecutive weeks was associated with significant reductions in pain and disability in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee The improvements were sustained for at least three weeks after discontinuing the taping. Although the mechanism of action is unclear, designing changes in the distribution of patellofemoral joint crushings may reduce strain on vulnerable tissues or improve proprioceptive acuity, quadriceps nerve and neuromotor control of the knee

Hinman R et al. Efficacy of knee tape in the management of osteoarthritis of the knee: blinded randomised controll trial. BMJ July 19 2003;327:135-8

COPYRIGHT 2004 American Academy of Family Physicians

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