LE3 .A278 2013

2013

King, Colin

Acadia University

Bachelor of Kinesiology

Honours

Kinesiology

Kinesiology

Ankle sprains are the most prevalent athletic injury sustained by collegiate American football players. Of these sprains, 85% occur when an athlete’s ankle is unexpectantly forced into an inverted and plantarflexed position. This causes the foot to roll onto its lateral border, putting excessive strain on the lateral ligamentous complex. Of this complex, the anterior talofibular ligament (ATF) is the most likely to be injured in the inverted position. Athletic taping has been proven to be effective in ankle sprain injury prevention, treatment and rehabilitation by mechanically restricting joint range of motion (ROM). However, perspiration and skin mobility are known to negatively affect the adhesive qualities of athletic tape and therefore limit its ability to restrict ankle joint ROM. An alternative method of ankle taping involves tape application to the exterior portion of an athlete’s cleat so that the tape adhesive cannot be affected by perspiration or skin mobility. This technique is referred to as spatting. The present study proposes to determine the best method for athletic taping and spatting to support the ankle joint. The study focused on four taping conditions 1) non-treatment control condition, 2) taping alone, 3) spatting alone, and 4) taping and spatting combined. These conditions were investigated with respect to their ability to restrict ankle ROM, influence perceptions of stability and comfort as well as their effect on vertical jump and agility performance. Overall, the taping and spatting combination was found to be the best combination. This combination was able to best restrict ankle joint ROM and was perceived to be the most stable by participants. No statistically significant differences were found between groups with respect to perceived comfort, vertical jump performance or agility performance.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:994