ABSTRACT

“EFFICACY OF PATELLER TAPING FOR KNEE

OSTEOARTHRITIS AS AN ADJUNCT TO
CONVENTIONAL PHYSICAL THERAPY”
Arnab Chandra, MPT (ortho) 2nd year, NIOH (Kolkata)
Guide: K.S.Sharad, MPT (ortho), Asst.Professor NIOH (Kolkata)

Background and objective: taping has been successfully used by physiotherapist in

management of sports injuries because of its effect on reflex stimulation of skin, learning process
due to skin drag, enhanced joint proprioception, altering VL & VMO ratio and altering the
patellar position. It has been proposed that it can be used to treat degenerative joint disease also
like osteoarthritis however there is a lack of evidence. The purpose of this study is to compare
the effectiveness of taping technique along with conventional physical therapy versus
conventional physical therapy alone in patient with patellofemoral joint osteoarthritis.
Subjects: a total of 30 patients (40-65yrs) with patellofemoral joint osteoarthritis were studied.
Where mean age was 55(±6) yrs, M: F-(1:1.6)
Method: subjects were randomly allocated to group A & B (n=15) who were treated with
taping technique along with ultrasound therapy and supervised exercise protocol. Subject in
group B (n=15) treated with ultrasound therapy and supervised exercise protocol alone. Each
program lasted for 2 weeks. All out come measure were assessed prior to and post 2 weeks
intervention. Data was obtained on pain intensity and functional disability via VAS, WOMAC
scale, TUG test, timed stair ambulation test. Dependent t-test and independent t-test was used to
analyze the data.
Result: between group comparisons found that taping group (group-A) displayed statistically
significant improvement in terms of pain intensity (p=0.005), WOMAC score (p=0.006), and
TUG test (p=0.005) but there was no grater improvement shown in case of timed stair
ambulation test (p=0.007). However, comparison of all the outcome measures with in the group
indicated significant improvement.
Conclusion: taping technique along with conventional physical therapy group resulted in
grater gains, compared to other group of conventional physical therapy alone, though there is no
significant difference in improvement in timed stair ambulation test between the two groups.
Therefore its application can be considered beneficial for pain relief and functional ability
improvement in subjects with patellafemoral joint osteoarthritis.

Key wards: patellafemoral joint osteoarthritis, taping, conventional physical therapy.

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