The effects of two therapeutic patellofemoral taping techniques on strength, endurance, and pain responses.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of taping techniques on clinical measures in patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) patients. DESIGN: Crossover experimental design. SETTING: Controlled laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty physically active PFPS patients. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Isokinetic strength and endurance, and perceived pain. RESULTS: Bilateral baseline differences existed for strength (involved = 1.8 ± 0.5 Nm/kg; uninvolved = 2.1 ± 0.5 Nm/kg; p = 0.001) and endurance (involved = 35.6 ± 14.0 J/kg; uninvolved = 40.2 ± 12.9 J/kg; p = 0.013). Strength (McConnell = 2.1 ± 0.6 Nm/kg, 95% SCI = (1.1, 4.2); Spider(®) = 2.1 ± 0.5 Nm/kg, 95% SCI = (0.9, 4.0)) and endurance (McConnell = 42.9 ± 13.8 J/kg, 95% SCI = (2.9, 11.6); Spider(®) = 42.5 ± 11.0 J/kg, 95% SCI = (2.6, -11.3)) increased when taped compared to baseline. Pain decreased during strength (baseline = 3.0 ± 2.2 cm; McConnell = 1.9 ± 1.7 cm, 95% SCI = (-1.8, -0.4); Spider(®) = 1.6 ± 2.0 cm, 95% SCI = (-2.0, -0.5)) and endurance (baseline = 2.5 ± 2.0 cm; McConnell = 1.5 ± 1.8 cm, 95% SCI = (-1.6, -0.4); Spider(®) = 1.1 ± 0.8 cm, 95% SCI = (-1.7, -0.5)) measurements when taped. Differences between taping techniques were insignificant. CONCLUSIONS: Taping improved clinical measures in PFPS patients. No differences existed between Spider(®) and McConnell techniques.

The relationship between clinical measurements of lower extremity posture and tibial translation.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this investigation was to determine if postures of the lower extremity were related to the amount of anterior tibial translation. DESIGN: Regression model of lower extremity postural measures used to predict the amount of tibial translation for a sample of convenience. BACKGROUND: Retrospective studies have indicated a link between certain lower extremity postures and prediction of anterior cruciate ligament injury status. What is not clear is whether these lower extremity postures cause, or occur as a result of anterior cruciate ligament injury. METHODS: Genu recurvatum, the thigh-foot angle, and navicular drop measures were obtained from the right leg of 43 uninjured college-aged subjects. Tibial translation was determined using a KT-1000 arthrometer. Gender related differences were determined with independent t-tests. Step-wise regression was performed to assess the relationship between postural measures and subject gender, and tibial translation. RESULTS: Very good to excellent inter- and intra-rater reliability was found for the postural measures. There was greater tibial translation (P=0.01) in females. The final regression model indicated a moderate relationship between sex of the subject, navicular drop and tibial translation (r=0.551). Genu recurvatum and thigh-foot angle were not significant predictors of tibial translation. CONCLUSIONS; We concluded that foot pronation has a greater impact on the amount of tibial translation than genu recurvatum and torsion of the lower leg in anterior cruciate intact subjects. RELEVANCE: Static clinical measures of lower extremity posture are commonly taken as predictors of outcome (both performance and injury). There may be little association between these static measures and dynamic performance.