Kinesiology Taping and Ankle Stability in Acute Injuries During Stair Descent

NCT06936033 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: TY2025004
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 27
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Background: Acute ankle injuries are common in sports and daily activities. Kinesiology taping enhances lower limb motion patterns, joint stability, and balance during descending stair activity in such patients. The objective of this study was to conduct a comparative analysis of the biomechanical impacts exerted by a KT group and an ST group on the lower limbs of patients with acute ankle injuries while descending stairs. Methods: The study included 27 participants with acute ankle injuries, who underwent biomechanical assessment under both KT and ST conditions. An integrated Vicon motion capture system, AMTI force platform, and electromyography (EMG) sensors were utilized to comprehensively evaluate biomechanical performance. Participants completed 20 descending stair trials under each condition, with joint stiffness, center of mass (COM), and bone displacement identified as key metrics for assessing stability. Statistical analyses, including paired t-tests and statistical parametric mapping (SPM1D), were employed to identify significant biomechanical differences between the two conditions.

Conditions

Ankle Injuries

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Joint stiffness

  Joint stiffness Δτ （change in torque）and Δθ （change in angle）will be combined to report Joint stiffness in Nm/rad

  four weeks

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Joint power

  two weeks

Study Arms (2)

KT Group: Kinesio Taping for Acute Ankle Injuries

EXPERIMENTAL

This arm involves the application of Kinesio Taping (KT) to participants with acute ankle injuries. The KT intervention uses Kinesio®Tex GOLD™ tape, applied with specific tension and directional control to stabilize the ankle joint, limit excessive inversion/eversion, and enhance proprioception. This study used a control experiment between the ST group without Kinesio Taping intervention and the KT group with Kinesio Taping intervention. The stability, gait analysis, and impact force of the ankle lower limb movement in patients with acute ankle injury were compared before and after Kinesio Taping and without Kinesio Taping.

Other: Kinesiology taping

ST Group: no Kinesio Taping

NO INTERVENTION

Interventions

Kinesiology taping OTHER

This study used Kinesio taping as an intervention to compare the biomechanical effects of stair descent in patients with acute ankle injuries before and after taping. Participants participated in two intervention conditions: the KT experimental group (Kinetoscopy taping) and the ST control group (no Kinesio taping), and each condition performed 20 separate stair descent tests.

KT Group: Kinesio Taping for Acute Ankle Injuries

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Weeks - 44 Weeks
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Subjects had experienced at least one acute sprain of the ankle joint.
• Those who experienced symptoms of pain and instability during daily activities or sports.
• No other serious diseases affecting the function of the lower limbs (e.g., arthritis, severe knee lesions, etc.).
• AOFAS \< 80 points and VAS ≤ 3 on the affected side.
• The onset of injury is usually limited to 7 days to ensure that it is in the acute phase.
• Participants maintained a steady level of daily activity during the study period.

You may not qualify if:

• History of severe structural injury or surgery to the ankle (e.g., ligament reconstruction surgery, arthroscopic surgery, etc.).
• Presence of neuromuscular disease, or women during pregnancy.
• Allergy to muscle patch materials or history of skin disease. Ankle-related surgery or rehabilitation within the last 6 months.
• Before the initiation of data collection, all participants provided their written informed consent.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Ningbo University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Ningbo University

Zhejiang Province, Ningbo, 315211, China

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Wei Y, Xu D, Zhou Z, Qu X, Baker JS, Xiang L, Gu Y. The effects of kinesiology taping on joint stability during descending stairs in patients with acute ankle injuries. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2025 Sep 25;17(1):271. doi: 10.1186/s13102-025-01321-0.

  PMID: 40999475 DERIVED

Related Links

• Sarvestan, J, Svoboda Z, Linduška P, Hrasky P, Rutkowska-Kucharska A. The effect of ankle Kinesio™ taping on ankle joint biomechanics during unilateral balance status among collegiate athletes with chronic ankle sprain. Phys Ther Sport. 2020.45:161-167.

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Ankle Injuries

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Leg Injuries; Wounds and Injuries

Study Officials

• dong yao gu

  Ningbo University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 5, 2025
• First Posted: April 20, 2025
• Study Start: September 11, 2024
• Primary Completion: February 7, 2025
• Study Completion: February 22, 2025
• Last Updated: April 20, 2025

Record last verified: 2024-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CN (1)