Can Kinesio Tape Alter the Cutting Kinematics in Female Athletes with Functional Ankle Instability?

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Department of Corrective Exercise & Sport Injury, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Sports Medicine, Sport Sciences Research Institute, Tehran, Iran

10.30476/whb.2026.107281.1357

Abstract

Background: Functional ankle instability (FAI) often occurs after ankle sprains and involves impaired neuromuscular control. Cutting maneuvers, common in many sports, may increase ankle injury risk. Kinesio taping (KT) is used to enhance joint stability and proprioception, but its effect on lower‑extremity kinematics during cutting is unclear. This study investigated the effect of KT on cutting kinematics in female athletes with FAI.
Methods: This controlled pre–post intervention study was conducted in April and May 2024 on 28 female athletes, including 14 with functional ankle instability (FAI) and 14 healthy controls, at the laboratory of the Sport Sciences Research Institute in Tehran, Iran. Research tools included the Persian validated Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT) for participant classification, anthropometric measurements (height, weight, and body mass index), and a 3-dimensional motion analysis system (Kestrel, 10 cameras) with Cortex software to record lower-extremity kinematic data. Kinematic data for the ankle, knee, and hip joints across all three anatomical planes were extracted specifically at the time frame corresponding to the peak frontal plane knee valgus during the stance phase of the cutting maneuver. The intervention consisted of Kinesio taping applied according to the John Gibbons technique before the post-test phase. Sample size was estimated using G*Power software (v.3.1.9.4). Statistical analysis was performed using the independent t-test and one-way repeated measures ANOVA, with the significance level set at P < 0.05.
Results: KT did not significantly affect lower extremity kinematics such as hip flexion (pre: -38.02±12.37, post: -34.56±12.33, P=0.30), knee flexion (pre: 50.28±7.26, post: 49.17±7.07, P=0.430), and ankle flexion (pre: -95.37±4.18, post: -93.50±5.31, P=0.320) angles in both groups. Only the effect of Kinesio tape on the knee abduction angle was statistically significant (pre: 3.74±1.8, post: 4.82±0.13 P=0.008).
Conclusions: It appears that the effect of Kinesio tape during cutting maneuvers is not substantial enough to alter the movement kinematics in individuals with FAI. Therefore, Kinesio tape is not recommended for injury prevention or performance enhancement in athletes with ankle sprains.

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Rahman Sheikhhoseini: (Google Scholar)

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