Fibular Reposition Taping Does Not Change Lower Extremity Biomechanics During Gait In Active Adults With Chronic Ankle Instability

Altered arthrokinematics are present in individuals with chronic ankle instability, which may influence their walking biomechanics. The objective of this study was to determine if fibular reposition tape (FRT) has any effect on lower extremity kinematics, kinetics, and vertical ground reaction forces (vGRFs) during gait in individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI). Twenty active individuals with bilateral CAI received three conditions: FRT, sham FRT, and no tape. Ten trials of walking were collected for each condition to evaluate lower extremity kinematics, kinetics, and vGRF. Curve analyses were used to compare conditions by plotting group means and 90% confidence intervals. There were no significant differences in lower extremity biomechanics between any tape conditions. Application of FRT did not have any effect on triplanar kinematics, kinetics, or vGRF during gait in individuals with CAI.