Objective: To investigate the effects of Kinesio tape (KT) on lower limb biomechanics during unanticipated multidirectional jump-landing tasks in individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI) and healthy controls. Methods: Fifteen male CAI patients and fifteen healthy males were recruited. Participants performed forward, lateral, and diagonal jumps under both no-KT and KT conditions. Data were collected synchronously using motion capture and force plate systems. Results: Under the condition of consistent jump height, KT significantly optimized the landing strategy of CAI patients. In lateral and diagonal jumps, peak vertical ground reaction force and loading rate showed a decreasing trend, and the time proportion to reach peak force was more favorable, indicating prolonged shock absorption time. Joint moment results revealed direction-dependent biomechanical adaptations. After taping, CAI patients showed a significant reduction in ankle inversion/eversion moments, accompanied by compensatory increases in hip and knee moments in the coronal plane. In contrast, health controls generally exhibited reduced joint moments. This adaptive pattern suggests that KT does not merely provide simple mechanical support but enhances proprioceptive input, helping CAI patients overcome movement inhibition. The effect was most pronounced during lateral jumps, which placed the greatest challenge on lateral ankle stability. Conclusion: The primary effect of KT on CAI patients is direction-specific motor pattern modulation, with its effectiveness precisely matching the demands of movement direction on ankle stability. Moreover, KT can guide CAI patients from a fear-driven rigid strategy to a sensation-guided coordinated strategy while maintaining motor output. This demonstrates that KT can serve as an effective intervention tool, providing critical evidence for risk-based precision rehabilitation.
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Share and Cite
Guo, Z., Meng, Z., Gai, Z., Wang, B., Liu, H. (2026) Effects of Kinesio Taping on Landing Strategies During Unanticipated Multidirectional Jumping in Individuals with Ankle Instability. Journal of Disease and Public Health, 2(1), 10-21.
https://doi.org/10.71052/jdph/VTHA4885