Effects of patella taping on patella position and perceived pain
Two articles on PainSci cite Bockrath 1993: 1. The Complete Guide to Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome 2. The Dubious Science of Kinesiology Tape
PainSci notes on Bockrath 1993:
Bockrath et al. concluded that “patella taping significantly reduced the perceived pain level” in patellofemoral pain syndrome patients, but clearly noted that “this reduction in pain was not associated with patella position changes.”
original abstract †Abstracts here may not perfectly match originals, for a variety of technical and practical reasons. Some abstacts are truncated for my purposes here, if they are particularly long-winded and unhelpful. I occasionally add clarifying notes. And I make some minor corrections.
Anterior knee pain syndrome (AKPS) represents a significant challenge for the sports medicine clinician. One proposed etiological factor for AKPS is poor vastus medialis obliquus (VMO) control, resulting in lateral glide of the patella. Patella taping has been advocated to increase VMO control. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of patella taping on patella position and perceived pain. Twelve subjects (age = 29 +/- 9 yr; weight = 70.9 kg +/- 17.8; height = 174.0 cm +/- 8.1) with AKPS currently using patella taping procedures with a decrease in their symptoms participated. Each subject had Merchant's view x-rays taken pre- and post-taping while performing an isometric quadriceps contraction to determine patella rotation and patella congruency angles. Subjects also completed a visual analog pain scale after performing a 0.2 m (8") step-down both pre- and post-taping. Paired t-tests revealed no significant change in patellofemoral congruency (P = 0.98) and patella rotation angles (P = 0.80). Significant reduction (50%) in subject pain level was revealed by the visual analog scale (t(15) = 4.99; P < 0.0005). Results demonstrate that patella taping significantly reduced the perceived pain levels during a 0.2-m step-down; however, this reduction in pain was not associated with patella position changes.
related content
- “Patellar taping: a radiographic examination of the medial glide technique,” B Larsen, E Andreasen, A Urfer, M R Mickelson, and K E Newhouse, American Journal of Sports Medicine, 1995.
- “Effect of Patellar Taping and Bracing on Patellar Position as Determined by MRI in Patients with Patellofemoral Pain,” T Worrell, CD Ingersoll, K Bockrath-Pugliese, and P Minis, Journal of Athletic Training, 1998.
This page is part of the PainScience BIBLIOGRAPHY, which contains plain language summaries of thousands of scientific papers & others sources. It’s like a highly specialized blog. A few highlights:
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- A double-blinded randomised controlled study of the value of sequential intravenous and oral magnesium therapy in patients with chronic low back pain with a neuropathic component. Yousef 2013 Anaesthesia.
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- Photobiomodulation therapy is not better than placebo in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain: a randomised placebo-controlled trial. Guimarães 2021 Pain.