Acute treatment of ankle ligament injuries: Is kinesio tape effective?

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to compare the efficacy of Kinesio taping (KT) and splinting performed on patients with acute ankle ligament injuries on edema, pain, range of motion and disability. Materials and Methods: This study included 240 patients with an acute ankle sprain. The patients were randomized and divided into two groups each comprising 120 patients. Tape and splint were kept on the patients for 5 days. The following parameters were evaluated before and after treatment: circumference measurement for severity of edema (metatarsophalangeal joint, ankle circumference, 5cm above the ankle, 10cm above the ankle), visual analog scale (VAS) pain score, range of motion(ROM) for the ankle and disability level via the Foot Function Index(FFI). Results: The mean age was 31.10 +/- 11.67 years. When the pain and ROM evaluations were compared between the groups, the patients in the KT group had significantly higher improvement in their pain and ROM compared to the splinting group after treatment (p=0.002, 0.015, 0.523, 0.022, 0.017). The disability levels of the patients treated with KT were significantly improved (p<0.001) at the end of the treatment, but there was no change in patients treated with splinting (p<0.068). According to circumference measurements, the measurement of thickness decreased at all measurement levels in the KT group, whereas the splinting group only showed a decrease in the measurement of circumference at 10 cm above the ankle (p=0.001, <0.001, <0.001, 0.001; 0.059, 0.732, 0.238, 0.014). Discussion: KT is considered to be a treatment modality that contributes to fast recovery and healing, which allows patients to mobilise early, doesn't prevent daily activities such as dressing or taking baths, and increases proprioception and stabilization in the applied area through an increase in sensorial input.