Kinesiology Taping in Grade I–II Meniscus Injuries: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Trial

TL;DR

This pilot study found that Kinesiology taping may improve joint position sense and quality of life in people with mild meniscus injuries, but not pain or muscle strength.

Contribution

This is the first randomized placebo-controlled trial exploring Kinesiology taping effects on Grade I–II meniscus injuries.

Findings

KT improved joint position sense at 60° flexion with eyes closed compared to placebo.

KT showed greater improvements in physical function and energy subdomains of the SF-36 quality of life scale.

No significant effects on pain, fear of movement, muscle strength, or joint range of motion.

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Meniscus injuries, particularly Grade I and II, are common knee injuries that can affect pain, joint function and quality of life, but the effectiveness of non-invasive treatments like Kinesiology taping (KT) in this population remains limited. This pilot randomized controlled trial aimed to explore the short-term effects of KT on pain, fear of movement, muscle strength, proprioceptive force sense, joint range of motion, joint position sense and quality of life in individuals with Grade I/II meniscus injuries. Materials and Methods: 26 participants diagnosed with Grade I-II meniscus injury were randomly assigned to two groups: the experimental group was applied ‘Y shaped’ kinesiology taping on quadriceps femoris muscle, based on facilitation technique with 25–50% tension. The control (placebo) group was applied a tape without tension, perpendicular to the quadriceps femoris muscle. Outcomes were evaluated before and 48–72 h after taping. Results: Between-group analysis demonstrated a significant improvement in joint position sense at 60° flexion with eyes closed in KT group compared with placebo (p = 0.002). Additionally, the KT group showed significantly greater improvements in the physical function (p = 0.006) and energy (p = 0.013) subdomains of the SF-36 quality of life scale. No significant between-group differences were observed for pain, fear of movement, muscle strength, proprioceptive force sense, or joint range of motion. Conclusions: In this pilot study, KT showed acute benefits in proprioception and quality of life in grade I-II meniscus injuries, but no advantage over placebo taping for pain, fear of movement, joint range of motion or muscle strength. Given the exploratory nature and limited sample size, these findings should be interpreted cautiously. Larger trials should confirm these results and determine the role of KT within multimodal rehabilitation programs.

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