Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2013 Apr;8(2):105-10.

A comparison of two taping techniques (kinesio and mcconnell) and their effect on anterior knee pain during functional activities

Marc Campolo  1 , Jenie Babu, Katarzyna Dmochowska, Shiju Scariah, Jincy Varughese
Affiliations

A comparison of two taping techniques (kinesio and mcconnell) and their effect on anterior knee pain during functional activities

Marc Campolo et al. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2013 Apr.

Abstract

Background: Anterior knee pain is a clinical syndrome characterized by pain experienced perceived over the anterior aspect of the knee that can be aggravated by functional activities such as stair climbing and squatting. Two taping techniques commonly used for anterior knee pain in the clinic include the McConnell Taping Technique (MT) and the Kinesio Taping® Method (KT®).

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of KT® and the MT versus no tape in subjects with anterior knee pain during a squat lift and stair climbing.

Design: Pretest- posttest design.

Participants: A total of 20 subjects (15 female, 5 male) with unilateral anterior knee pain were recruited. The mean age of the subjects was 24 (+/-3) years, with a mean weight of 160 (+/-28) pounds.

Methods: Each participant was tested during two functional activities; a squat lift with a weighted box (10% of his/her body weight, plus the weight [8.5 pounds] of the box) and stair climbing under three conditions: 1) no tape, 2) MT and 3) KT®. Pain levels were assessed (verbally) using the 0-10 Numeric Pain Intensity Scale.

Results: The median (interquartile range [IQR]) pain during squat lift was 2 (2.75) for no tape, 1 (1) for KT®, and 0.5 (2) for McConnell, with no significant differences between the groups. During the stair activity the median (IQR) pain was 1.5 (2.75) for no tape, 1 (1.75) for KT®, and 1 (1.75) for MT with a significant difference (p=0.024) between the groups. Further analysis determined that the only a significant difference was (p=0.034) between the no tape and the KT® conditions.

Conclusion: The results of this study found that both the KT® and the MT may be effective in reducing pain during stair climbing activities.

Level of evidence: Level 2, Prospective Cohort study.

Keywords: Anterior Knee Pain; Kinesio Taping® Method; McConnell Taping Technique.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Kinesio Taping® Method Application.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
McConnell Taping Technique Application.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Distribution of Pain Difference During Squats. Median (inquartile range and spread) KT® = Kinesio Taping® Method MT = McConnell Taping Technique
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Distribution of Pain Difference During Stair Climbing. Median (inquartile range and spread) KT® = Kinesio Taping® Method MT = McConnell Taping Technique
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Soni A., Kiran A., Hart D., Leyland KM, Goulston L, Coope C, Javaid MK, Spector TD, Arden NK. Reported knee pain prevalence in a community-based cohort over 12 years. Arthritis Rheum. 2011; Dec 16. doi: 10.1002/art.33434. - PubMed
    1. Nguyen US, Zhang Y, Zhu Y, Niu J, Zhang B, Felson DT. Increasing prevalence of knee pain and symptomatic knee osteoarthritis: survey and cohort data. Ann Intern Med. 2011; 155:725–32 - PMC - PubMed
    1. van Dijk GM, Dekker J, Veenhof C, van den Ende CH. Carpa Study Group Course of functional status and pain in osteoarthritis of the hip or knee: a systematic review of the literature. Arthritis Rheum. 2006; 55:779–85 - PubMed
    1. Lan TY, Lin WP, Jiang CC, Chiang H. Immediate Effect and Predictors of Effectiveness of Taping for Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: A Prospective Cohort Study. American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2010; 38 (8): 1626–1630 - PubMed
    1. Chen PL, Hong WH, Lin CH, Chen WC. Biomechanics Effects of Kinesio Taping for Persons with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome During Stair Climbing. IFMBE Proceedings. 2008; 21:395–397

LinkOut - more resources