On the mechanical effects of knee bandages in the therapy of patellar chondropathy

Objective. The study aimed to clarify whether the therapeutic success of an infrapatellar bandage placed above the tibial tubercle in the treatment of patellar chondropathy is based on altered knee joint loads during specific movements. Design. In a clinical trial the influence of the bandage on kinetic and EMG variables is investigated. Background. Although the used bandage is not a supporting device, the patients report an instant improvement. Thus neurological mechanisms are hypothesized as capable of pain reduction by changing the neuromuscular movement coordination or sensation thresholds. Methods. Ten patients performed three different movements (running, drop jump, walking downstairs), before and after attaching the bandage, while kinematic, dynamic, and EMG data were acquired. After calculating the intersegment moment of the knee joint, different kinetic and EMG parameters were combined to the dependent image procedure. Results. The neuromuscular activity during drop jump was reduced significantly (P < 0.1) wearing the bandage while, apart from individual changes, no general alteration of the knee joint loads could be statistically confirmed. Conclusions. The effect of the examined infrapatellar bandage is not a consequence of a decreased joint load due to a general movement adaptation, but is probably due to a neural influence on the nociception.