IMPACT OF ADJUNCTIVE KINESIO TAPING ON PAIN, KNEE MOBILITY AND EARLY FUNCTIONAL RECOVERY AFTER TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY

Abstract

Background
Early recovery after total knee replacement is frequently limited by postoperative pain, restricted knee motion and reduced functional
mobility. Exercise-based rehabilitation remains the foundation of care, but adjunctive methods that improve comfort and facilitate
movement may accelerate functional recovery. Kinesio Taping is a non-restrictive elastic taping technique proposed to influence cutaneous
sensory input, local fluid movement and movement confidence. Aim To determine whether Kinesio Taping used as an adjunct to a
structured exercise programme improves pain, knee range of motion and early functional recovery more effectively than exercis e alone
following total knee replacement.
Methodology
A randomized controlled study was conducted in 40 patients following unilateral total knee replacement. Participants were all ocated to
Group A (Kinesio Taping plus exercise, n=20) or Group B (exercise alone, n=20). Outcomes were recorded at baseline, 2 weeks and 4
weeks. Pain was measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), knee mobility by goniometric range of motion (ROM), functiona l
mobility by the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and patient-reported function by the WOMAC total score. Knee circumference at three
anatomical levels was also recorded as a secondary measure of postoperative swelling.
Results
Both groups improved significantly over time. Group A demonstrated a larger reduction in VAS pain from 7.17 ± 0.71 to 2.12 ± 0.87
compared with 7.21 ± 0.74 to 3.66 ± 1.01 in Group B. Knee ROM increased to 115.40 ± 9.34° in Group A and 108.90 ± 7.43° in Group B
at 4 weeks (p=0.020). TUG time improved to 13.22 ± 2.65 seconds in Group A compared with 16.95 ± 2.46 seconds in Group B (p<0 .001).
WOMAC at 4 weeks was also better in Group A (38.95 ± 7.76) than Group B (44.90 ± 7.65; p=0.019). Changes in swelling measures also
consistently favored Group A.
An important strength of the present findings is the agreement between impairment-level and activity-level outcomes. A treatment may
reduce pain without necessarily improving function, or it may increase ROM without changing mobility. In this study, however, the
direction of improvement was aligned across pain, ROM, TUG and WOMAC. Such convergence increases confidence that the observed
effect represents a meaningful recovery pattern rather than an isolated statistical difference.
The temporal pattern is also relevant. Differences were visible by the second week for several outcomes and generally became larger by the
fourth week. This suggests that the effect of the combined intervention may accumulate through repeated exposure to taping while the
patient simultaneously progresses through increasingly demanding exercises. Early reduction in discomfort may permit more effective
participation, and repeated successful movement may further improve confidence and functional performance.
The circumference findings provide a possible physiological context for the functional results. Postoperative edema can incre ase tissue
pressure, contribute to pain, restrict flexion and inhibit quadriceps activation. A greater reduction in swelling may therefore indirectly
support exercise performance. Although the present study was not designed to establish a mechanism, the parallel improvement in swelling,
pain and movement is clinically plausible and deserves further investigation using more objective methods of edema and muscle activation
assessment. At the same time, the findings should be interpreted with appropriate caution. Kinesio Taping is unlikely to have a uniform
effect in every patient, and the broader literature reports variable results depending on application method, timing and popu lation. The
present results support its use as a low-risk adjunct in selected postoperative patients, provided that the tape is applied correctly and that
skin integrity is monitored. Active exercise, progressive loading and gait retraining remain the essential components of reco very.
For clinical practice, the combined approach may be particularly useful during the first weeks after surgery when pain and swelling
interfere with exercise tolerance. The tape can be applied without restricting knee movement and can remain in place during ordinary
activity, potentially extending supportive sensory input beyond the supervised treatment session. This practical feature may help maintain
continuity between physiotherapy visits and home exercise performance. Future research should determine whether the early advantages
observed in the present study lead to sustained differences in longer-term outcomes. Follow-up beyond four weeks would clarify whether
the groups eventually converge or whether faster early recovery produces lasting benefits in strength, gait, participation and quality of life.
Larger multicenter trials could also identify which patient subgroups are most likely to benefit from adjunctive taping.
Conclusion: Adding Kinesio Taping to a structured exercise programme produced greater improvement in pain relief, knee mobility and
early functional recovery than exercise alone after total knee replacement. Kinesio Taping may therefore be considered as a useful adjunct
during early postoperative rehabilitation.