EFFECTS OF PATELLA TAPING ON PATELLA POSITION AND PERCEIVED PAIN

Anterior knee pain syndrome (AKPS) represents a significant challenge for the sports medicine clinician. One proposed etiological factor for AKPS is poor vastus medialis obliquus (VMO) control, resulting in lat eral glide of the patella. Patella taping has been advocated to increa se VMO control. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of patella taping on patella position and perceived pain. Twelve subj ects (age = 29 +/- 9 yr; weight = 70.9 kg +/- 17.8; height = 174.0 cm +/- 8.1) with AK-PS currently using patella taping procedures with a d ecrease in their symptoms participated. Each subject had Merchant's vi ew x-rays taken pre- and posttaping while performing an isometric quad riceps contraction to determine patella rotation and patella congruenc y angles. Subjects also completed a visual analog pain scale after per forming a 0.2 m (8'') step-down both pre- and posttaping. Paired 1-tes ts revealed no significant change in patellofemoral congruency (P = 0. 98) and patella rotation angles (P = 0.80). Significant reduction (50% ) in subject pain level was revealed by the visual analog scale (t(15) = 4.99; P < 0.0005). Results demonstrate that patella taping signific antly reduced the perceived pain levels during a 0.2-m step-down; howe ver, this reduction in pain was not associated with patella position c hanges.