Effects of Ankle Taping on Knee Biomechanics during Dominant-Legged Drop Landing / 医用生物力学

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the effect of ankle taping (restriction of ankle varus and plantar flexion) on biomechanical characteristics of the knee during drop landing on the dominant leg. Methods Eighteen amateur athletes performed the dominant-legged drop landing under two different ankle conditions (with or without taping). Vicon three-dimensional (3D) motion capture system, Kistler force plate and Noraxon surface electromyography (sEMG) system were used to collect kinetic, kinematic and sEMG data for statistical analysis. Results Compared with control group, ankle taping significantly increased flexion angle at initial contact and maximum flexion angle, while significantly decreased the maximum valgus angle. Conclusions The restriction of varus and plantar flexion might reduce the risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. The intervention with ankle taping could modify biomechanical parameters of the knee during drop landing. The ankle taping by restriction of ankle varus and plantar flexion may be an effective measure to prevent ACL injury for collegiate athletes.