Abstract des Autors

Osteoarthritis is one of the most frequent musculoskeletal disorders in older adults. The current global prevalence of knee osteoarthritis (OA) is 3.8%, and women are affected more often (4.8%) than men. In the past, OA was generally known as degenerative cartilage decrease. Today, OA is defined as a disease that involves the whole joint including cartilage, menisci, subchondral bone, synovium, capsule, ligaments, and muscles. The primary focus of nonsurgical treatment is on the reduction of main symptoms of pain and stiffness3 as well as on improvement of functional capacities. A conservative therapeutic approach for the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders that increasingly gained attention of clinicians and physiotherapists in the last years is kinesio taping. However, due to the lack of research studies, little is known regarding the influence on clinically relevant symptoms or underlying physiological changes responsible for potential effects. Consequently, the use and benefits of kinesio taping are still controversially discussed. The results of the few existing studies on the effects of kinesio taping in general are mostly inconsistent and produce uncertainty regarding the clinical value. Significant effects were found for pain perception and joint range of motion (ROM) in patients with acute whiplash and shoulder impingement. Other studies reported tendencies for an improved proprioception and lymph flow as well as changes in muscles tone. Regarding knee OA, 2 recently published studies indicate beneficial effects of kinesio tape on reducing pain, improving isokinetic quadriceps torque, pain-free ROM, and proprioception. However, both studies had a small sample size, and patients underwent posttest measurements immediately after kinesio tape application. Therefore, the short-term effectiveness of the therapeutic use of kinesio taping in OA patients is still unclear. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of kinesio tape on perceptions of pain and function as well as on ROM, strength, balance, and walking abilities. The results of this study will help to provide evidence-based recommendations regarding the use of kinesio tape for treating OA-related functional limitations.