Immediate Effect of Kinesio Taping on Knee Joint Position Sense after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Introduction: Sprain of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is the most common sports injury. Kinesio-taping (KT) method could be used for rehabilitation after ACL reconstruction (ACLR) surgery. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the immediate effect of KT on the knee joint position sense after ACLR surgery. Observational, descriptive, and comparative study. Materials and Methods: Twenty male football players with ACLR surgery, aged 20 to 30 years with matched pre-injury activity level, and 4 months post surgeries were enrolled. The knee joint position sense error rate was assessed before and after taping in injured and uninjured limbs in weight bearing and non-weight bearing positions from flexion to extension and vice versa at angles of 15°, 30° and 60°. Repeated measure ANOVA test was used for data analysis. Results: The knee joint position sense error rates were significantly smaller after taping compared to before taping in injured and uninjured control limbs in weight bearing and non-weight bearing positions from flexion to extension and vice versa at repositioning angles mentioned above. The knee joint position sense error rates were significantly lower in control uninjured limbs than injured limbs before taping in all tests. There was no significant difference between the two limbs in knee joint position sense error rates after taping in all tests. Conclusion: This study showed that, in people who underwent ACLR surgery, the knee joint position sense in injured limb was impaired after 4 months. Joint position sense error rate after ACLR surgery can be reduced by increasing the sensory inputs through taping.Keywords: Anterior Cruciate Ligament, Knee Joint Position Sense, Kinesio-Taping, Surger