Article

Patellar taping is a common treatment modality for physical
therapists managing patellofemoral pain. However, the mechanisms of action remain
unclear, with much debate as to whether its efficacy is due to a change in
patellar alignment or an alteration in sensory input. The purpose of
this study was to investigate the sensory input hypothesis using functional
magnetic resonance imaging when taping was applied to the knee joint during a
proprioception task. This was an observational study with patellar taping
intervention. METHODS: Eight male volunteers who were healthy and right-leg
dominant participated in a motor block design study. Each participant performed 2
right knee extension repetitive movement tasks: one simple and one
proprioceptive. These tasks were performed with and without patellar taping and
were auditorally paced for 400 seconds at 72 beats/min (1.2 Hz). RESULTS: The
proprioception task without patellar taping caused a positive blood oxygenation
level-dependant (BOLD) response bilaterally in the medial supplementary motor
area, the cingulate motor area, the basal ganglion, and the thalamus and medial
primary sensory motor cortex. For the proprioception task with patellar taping,
there was a decreased BOLD response in these regions. In the lateral primary
sensory cortex, there was a negative BOLD response with less activity for the
proprioception task with taping. Limitations This study may have been limited by
the small sample size, a possible learning effect due to a nonrandom order of
tasks, and use of a single-joint knee extension task. CONCLUSIONS: This study
demonstrated that patellar taping modulates brain activity in several areas of
the brain during a proprioception knee movement task.

Langue : ANGLAIS