Gait kinematics after taping in participants with chronic ankle instability.
BACKGROUND
Chronic ankle instability is characterized by repetitive lateral ankle sprains. Prophylactic ankle taping is a common intervention used to reduce the risk of ankle sprains. However, little research has been conducted to evaluate the effect ankle taping has on gait kinematics.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of taping on ankle and knee kinematics during walking and jogging in participants with chronic ankle instability.


METHODS
Controlled laboratory study.


METHODS
Motion analysis laboratory.


METHODS
A total of 15 individuals (8 men, 7 women; age = 26.9 ± 6.8 years, height = 171.7 ± 6.3 cm, mass = 73.5 ± 10.7 kg) with self-reported chronic ankle instability volunteered. They had an average of 5.3 ± 3.1 incidences of ankle sprain.


METHODS
Participants walked and jogged in shoes on a treadmill while untaped and taped. The tape technique was a traditional preventive taping procedure. Conditions were randomized.


METHODS
Frontal-plane and sagittal-plane ankle and sagittal-plane knee kinematics were recorded throughout the entire gait cycle. Group means and 90% confidence intervals were calculated, plotted, and inspected for percentages of the gait cycle in which the confidence intervals did not overlap.


RESULTS
During walking, participants were less plantar flexed from 64% to 69% of the gait cycle (mean difference = 5.73° ± 0.54°) and less inverted from 51% to 61% (mean difference = 4.34° ± 0.65°) and 76% to 81% (mean difference = 5.55° ± 0.54°) of the gait cycle when taped. During jogging, participants were less dorsiflexed from 12% to 21% (mean difference = 4.91° ± 0.18°) and less inverted from 47% to 58% (mean difference = 6.52° ± 0.12°) of the gait cycle when taped. No sagittal-plane knee kinematic differences were found.


CONCLUSIONS
In those with chronic ankle instability, taping resulted in a more neutral ankle position during walking and jogging in shoes on a treadmill. This change in foot positioning and the mechanical properties of the tape may explain the protective aspect of taping in preventing lateral ankle sprains.
Kent State University, OH.
Lisa
L
Chinn
Jay
J
Dicharry
Joseph M
JM
Hart
Susan
S
Saliba
Robert
R
Wilder
Jay
J
Hertel
D000328:Adult; D000842:Ankle / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016512:Ankle Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D055052:Athletic Tape; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D007590:Jogging / Q000502:physiology; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D011187:Posture; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012008:Recurrence; D012775:Shoes; D016138:Walking
ankle prophylactic measures; external ankle supports; recurrent ankle sprains