The effects of taping on basketball athletes with chronic ankle instability

Abstract

Background: Chronic Ankle Instability is a condition which leaves the ankle predisposed to changes after initial ankle sprain, and more susceptible to episodes of instability. The author hypothesised that different taping methods could be beneficial for different aspects of functional performance, and aimed to find out if any type of tape offers an added benefit over the other, and whether taping improves functional performance in basketball athletes with Chronic Ankle Instability. Research Question: Is there evidence to support taping for basketball athletes with Chronic Ankle Instability for improving functional performance? PICO Elements: The population studied (P) was basketball athletes with Chronic Ankle Instability. The intervention used (I) was taping with the comparison (C) being control situations (no tape, placebo). The outcome evaluated (O) was Functional Performance. Selection Criteria: Inclusion criteria: Only articles written in English were used, primary studies - randomised clinical trials (cross-sectional or cross-over), cohort studies, case-control studies and case series were selected, literature published between 2011-2023, studies had to have met the criteria of participants being basketball athletes, both male and female adults with a diagnosis of chronic ankle instability, at least one group had either KT or AT applied and a control group with no tape, at least one type of ankle function or test or a basketball related test was analysed in the groups (star excursion balance test, ground-reaction force, figure of 8 hop test) as an outcome measure, participants were all over 18 years of age, informed consent. Exclusion criteria: articles not written in English were excluded, secondary research - articles that were review articles, meta-analyses, systematic reviews, editorials, letters, comments, conference abstracts or case reports, duplicates or non-full-text articles were also excluded, all studies that did not include basketball athletes, athletes who underwent ankle surgery or had an ankle fracture less than 6 months before study. Outcomes of the search: Searches to identify relevant studies were conducted in 4 databases. A total of 4 RCTs, 2 crossover studies, 1 experimental study and 1 cross-sectional study were included in this study. Methods of appraisal used: The CASP tool and the NOS were used to assess and critically appraise the methodological quality of the studies. Results: 4 of the 7 studies that tested KT found statistically significant improvements in the tests performed, while the others did not provide statistically significant differences in performance. The studies that tested Zinc Oxide tape found it to be effective in some aspects of functional performance, but also limiting in others. Conclusion: Although no conclusion can be drawn because of the limitations, the findings suggest that taping is effective in improving performance in basketball athletes with CAI, especially KT which always showed improvements in results. However, further research is still required. Recommendations: Taping can be considered for use depending on how CAI presents in these athletes, and what deficits are present, however, further research with larger sample sizes is required for more specific results.