Material properties of thera-band tubing

Background and Purpose. Thera-Band Tubing has been used in rehabilitation t o provide resistance for exercise and splinting. However, the forces requir ed to stretch the tubing have not been thoroughly quantified. Therefore, th e therapist cannot assess, with certainty, how much force is applied when u sing a given length and type of Thera-Band Tubing. The purpose of this stud y was to quanti, the material properties of Thera-Band Tubing. Methods. For ce versus percentage of strain for all types of Thera-Band Tubing was measu red during elongation in a mechanical testing machine. Results. The materia l is very compliant and displays nonlinear behavior in the initial stretchi ng phase and linear behavior after 50% elongation. Discussion and Conclusio n. From the data obtained in this project, plots that can provide the thera pist with information about the forces needed for exercises with Thera-Band Tubing were generated. These data should allow therapists to make better c hoices about which size of tubing to use for each patient.