Effects of Kinesio taping on skin deformation during knee flexion and extension: a preliminary study

BACKGROUND: Kinesio Taping (KT) is proved useful to many musculoskeletal disorders. But the mechanism remains unclear. The kinesio tape works by sticking to the skin surface. So exploring the interaction between the tape and the skin and analyzing its biomechanical influence may be an effective way to explore the mechanism of the tape. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the effect of Kinesio taping and taping methods on skin deformation during knee joint flexion and extension motion and further explore its possible functional mechanisms. METHODS: Ten healthy and pain-free subjects (4 males, 6 females) were recruited in this study. The skin observation area on the anterior side of the right thigh of the subjects was divided into 11 segments by 12 reflective marker points for distance measurement, from the distal knee to the proximal knee, the length of the interval was L1 to L11, and the total length was L0. Subjects were treated with no KT (NT), resting positive taping (RPT), resting negative taping (RNT), stretching positive taping (SPT), and stretching negative taping (SNT). A Qualisys infrared high-speed three-dimensional spatial coordinate capture system was used to observe changes in the length of the observed skin surface on the right anterior thigh during right knee flexion and extension in the sitting position. RESULTS: During right knee flexion and extension in the seated position in 10 subjects, all skin segment deformations produced significant differences between intervention groups (P < 0.05), except for L1 during flexion (P = 0.07). During right knee flexion and extension, total length, L0, and spacing lengths, L1, L6, and L11, were longer in the NT group than in all other groups. L0 and L1 were both longer in the stretched position than in the rest position; L11 also showed this trend. CONCLUSIONS: The usage of the KT had an effect on the biomechanical changes of the skin, resulting in changes in skin deformation. I-tape, natural tension taping can shorten the skin distance between the two ends of the tape. Limb position during taping may influence the KT’s effects. However, the change in taping direction showed no significant effects on skin deformation during exercise. KT may apply a pre-stress in the biomechanics of the skin.