Effectiveness of Kinesio Taping on the Management of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

Figures & data

Figure 1 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) diagram.

Notes: Adapted from Moher et al.⁵³

Table 1 Summary of Included Randomized Controlled Trials

Authors (Year)	Patient Characteristics, Sample Size, Mean Age	Intervention	Frequency and Mean Follow-Up Time	Outcome Measures
Anandkumar (2014)^Citation40	Source: 40 outpatients (G1=20, G2=20). Mean age (SD): G1=55.7y (5.8), G2=55.9y (5.0)	EG: therapeutic KT with 50–75% tension CG: sham taping	Taping for 30 min	-VAS - Isokinetic dynamometer
Cho (2015)^Citation33	Source: 46 volunteer subjects with knee OA (G1=23, G2=23). Mean age(SD): G1=58.2y(4.5), G2=57.5y (4.4)	EG: therapeutic KT with 15–25% tension CG: sham taping	Taping for 60 min	- Pain-free ROM of the knee joint (active ROM) - VAS at rest and during Walking
Kocyigit (2015)^Citation38	Source: 41 outpatients with knee OA (G1=21, G2=20). Mean age(SD): G1=52y (7.5), G2=52y (10)	EG: therapeutic KT with 25% tension CG: sham taping	Repeated every 4 days, 3 times in total	- Pain intensity with activity and at night (VAS)
Lee (2016)^Citation35	Source: 30 elderly patients with knee OA (G1=15, G2=15). Mean age(SD): G1=72.0y (4.0), G2=73.1y (5.8)	EG: KT CG: CPT	3 times/week for 4 weeks.	- Pain intensity (VAS) - Functional disability (KWOMAC) - Pain-free ROM of the knee joint (Passive ROM)
Kaya et al (2017)^Citation49	Source: 39 outpatients with knee OA (G1=20, G2=19). Mean age(SD): G1=52y (7.5), G2=52y (10)	EG: therapeutic KT with 25% tension CG: placebo KT	12–16 days in total	-Pain intensity (VAS at rest), - Functional disability (WOMAC), - Pain-free ROM of the knee and hip joints
Wageck (2016)^Citation46	Source: 76 outpatients with knee OA (G1=38, G2=38). Mean age(SD): G1=69.6y (6.9), G2=68.6y (6.3)	EG: a multilayer KT application CG: sham taping	Taping for 4 days, follow-up for extra 15 days	- Functional disability (WOMAC) - pressure algometry (Pressure pain Threshold).
Dhanakotti (2016)^Citation47	Source: 30 patients with knee OA (G1=15, G2=15). Mean age(SD): G1=51.73y (5.10), G2=51.26y (4.86)	EG: KT with 40% stretch of its maximal length+ CPT CG: CPT	3 times/week for 3 weeks	- Pain intensity (NPRS) - Functional disability (WOMAC)
Malgaonkar (2014)^Citation50	Source: 40 subjects with knee OA (G1=20, G=20). Mean age(SD): G1=53.5y (2.21), G2=52.95y (2.25)	EG: therapeutic KT with 25% tension EG: MWM	3 times/week for 2 weeks	- Pain intensity (VAS) -Functional disability (WOMAC)
Donec and Kubilius (2019)^Citation39	Source: 187 subjects with OA (EG=94, CG=93) Mean age(SD): EG= 68.7 (9.9), CG=70.6 (8.3)	EG: two Y-shaped KT strips (10–15% tension) over the Anterior knee joint surface and 75–100% tension) over the patellar tendon and medial/lateral collateral ligaments. CG: nonspecific taping (NT) with 0% tension	2 times/week for 4 weeks	- Numeric Pain Rating Scale - Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scores (KOOS) pain subscale
Taheri et al (2017)^Citation36	Source: 36 patients with knee OA (EG=20, CG=16) Mean age(SD): EG= 56.4(6.4), CG= 56.1(6.3)	EG: taping (in first 3 weeks) combined with exercise therapy CG: exercise and medical Therapy.	6 weeks	-VAS -TUG
Park and Kim (2018)^Citation34	Source: 50 patients with knee OA  (EG=25, CG=25) Mean age(SD): EG= 74.76 (6.85), CG=77.2 0 (5.49)	EG: non-elastic taping CG: sham taping	Not determined	- NRS - KWOMAC
Castrogiovanni et al (2016)^Citation42	Source: 66 patients with OA (exercise group=19, Exercise and KT with tension=19 and exercise and KT without tension=19 Mean age:  G1= 63.90 (15.4), G2=64.20 (14.5) G3=64.80 (14.2)	-Exercise group -Exercise and KT with tension -Exercise and KT without tension	3 months	-VAS -TUG -WOMAC
Rahlf et al (2018)^Citation43	Source: 131 patients with OA(EG=44, placebo=43, CG=44) Mean age: EG=64.7(7.3), Sham=64.7(7.3)	EG: taping at knee joint. Placebo/sham: taping at calf CG: no taping	Consecutive 3 days	-ROM -WOMAC -10MWT
Nwe et al (2019)^Citation45	Source: 60 patients with OA (EG=30, CG30) Mean age: EG= 63.57 (9.71), CG= 61.23 (8.44)	EG:KT plus conventional exercise CG: conventional exercise alone	1 time/week for 3 weeks	-VAS, -WOMAC index - TUG
Tripathi et al (2017)^Citation41	Source: 30 patients with OA(EG=15, CG=12) Mean age: (not described for both groups)	EG: KT plus standard conventional therapy CG: standard conventional therapy	1 time/week for 3 weeks	-NRS scale -TUG -WOMAC scale
Hayati et al (2019)^Citation48	Source: 84 patients with OA of knee (EG=37, CG=29, sham group=18) Mean age: EG=53.72 (8.91), CG=50.24(8.63), Sham=53.33 (8.50)	EG: NSAID therapy and KT Placebo/sham: sham taping with NSAID therapy CG: KT	3 times a week at 1-day interval	-VAS -WOMAC scale
Hakakzadeh et al (2019)^Citation37	Source: 30 patients with OA (EG=15, CG,15) Mean age(SD): EG= 57.3(8.7), CG 50(6.5)y	EG: KT with 15–25% tension CG: sham taping	3 days duration	-VAS -ROM -TUG
Sedhom (2016)^Citation44	Source: 40 females with knee OA from outpatient (EG=20, CG=20) Mean age(SD): EG=48.7y (5.82), CG=49.25y (5.82)	EG: KT plus CET CG: phonophoresis with PUT using aescin and diethylamine salicylate plus CET	3 times /week for 4 weeks	-VAS -ROM

Abbreviations: OA, osteoarthritis; KT, Kinesio Taping; CPT, conventional physical therapy; VAS, visual analog scale; WOMAC, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index; KWOMAC, Korean Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index; ROM, range of motion; NPRS, Numeric Pain Rating Scale; NSAID, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; CET, conventional exercise; EG, experimental group; CG, control group; PUT, pulsed ultrasound therapy; MWM, Mulligan’s movement with mbilization.

Table 2 Quality Assessment of Controlled Intervention Studies

Pedro Scale Items	Kocyigit M et al, 2015^Citation38	Anandkumar et al, 2014^Citation40	Cho et al, 2015^Citation33	Taheri et al, 2017^Citation36	Kaya et al, 2017^Citation49	Park and Kim,  2018^Citation34	Nwe et al, 2019^Citation45	Tripathi et al, 2017^Citation41	Hayati et al, 2019^Citation48	Donecand Kubilius et al, 2019^Citation39	Giusepp et al, 2016	Lee et al, 2016^Citation35	Rahlf et al, 2019^Citation43	Sedhom, 2016^Citation44	Anandkumar et al, 2014^Citation50	Dhanakotti et al, 2016^Citation47	Wageck et al, 2016^Citation46	Abolhasaniet al, 2019^Citation37
Eligibility	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Random allocation	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Concealed allocation	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Baseline comparability	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Blind participants	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Blind therapist	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Blind assessor	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Adequate follow-up	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Intention-to-treat analysis	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Between-group comparisons	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Point estimates and variability	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes
Total quality score out of 10	8	8	5	6	8	6	8	7	9	9	7	5	7	6	7	7	7	7
Graded approach	High	High	Moderate	High	High	High	High	High	High	High	High	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate

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