The effects of taping and exercise on ankle joint movement in subjects with functional instability (FI) of the ankle joint during a jump down

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of ankle joint taping and exercise on ankle joint sagittal plane and rear-foot frontal plane movement in subjects with chronic ankle instability. DESIGN: Laboratory-based, repeated-measures study. SETTING: University biomechanics laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Subjects with chronic ankle instability (N=11) as defined by the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool. INTERVENTIONS: Each participant performed 3 single-leg drop landings onto a forceplate under 3 different conditions. These conditions were: condition 1 (no tape), condition 2 (taped), and condition 3 (postexercise taped). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Kinematic data were used to identify ankle joint sagittal plane and rear-foot frontal plane positions at 50 ms before initial contact (IC) and at IC, under each of the conditions. RESULTS: There was a significant effect on the angle of ankle joint plantar flexion, both at 50 ms before IC (F(2,18)=29.4, P .05). CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that taping acted to reduce the degree of plantar flexion at both 50 ms before and at IC with the ground, and that these reductions were retained even after exercise.