dc.description.abstract | Because of its different symptoms and longer recovery time from lateral ankle sprain, more and more researchers pay attention on ankle syndesmosis injury currently. Nowadays, using kinesio taping to restrict unnecessary motions is often used for treatment of ankle syndesmosis injury. However, no experimental study has conducted to examine its effects. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to examine the acute effect of ankle syndesmosis taping on joint function in individuals with ankle syndesmosis injury. There were two research objectives developed: 1) to examine the validity and reliability of the weight-bearing lunge test (WBLT) using a self-made lunge distance device mounted with a sliding board and 2) to evaluate ankle dorsiflexion capacity and functional activities in individuals with ankle syndesmosis injury for three different conditions. This study was a prospective, quasi-experimental, single-blind, and pre-and-post trial design. There were two parts of study in this research. For the first part of the present research, validity and reliability of the weight-bearing lunge test using a lunge distance device was investigated. The WBLT using a lunge distance device was assessed repetitively on the same day and different day by the same rater and on the same day by two different raters in 23 asymptomatic adults. Angle of ankle dorsiflexion was also measured using an electrogoniometer during the first trial of the WBLT. Three trials were obtained and averaged for statistical analyses. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC(2,3) and ICC(3,3)), standard error of measurement and minimal detectable change were calculated for intra-rater reliability on the same day and between different days as well as inter-rater reliability. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was calculated for correlation between lunge distance and angle of ankle dorsiflexion for examining the validity. For the second part of the present research, 12 adults with ankle syndesmosis injury were recruited. All participants underwent measurements for ankle dorsiflexion capacity and functional activities in random-order taping conditions including ankle syndesmosis taping, sham taping and no taping conditions. Outcome variables included lunge distance obtained from the WBLT, angle of ankle dorsiflexion obtained from the deep squat test, score of patient-specific functional scale (PSFS) and pre-selected activity difficulty score specifically designed for this research. Friedman tests were calculated to compare the differences in those outcome variables among 3 conditions. The significant level was set at α= 0.05 while the power was set at 0.8. The main results showed: 1) the WBLT using a lunge distance device had excellent validity and reliability, 2) the lunge distance was improved for the ankle syndesmosis taping condition but it is not the case for sham taping, 3) no significant differences in ankle dorsiflexion angle during deep squat among 3 conditions, 4) score of PSFS was improved for both ankle syndesmosis and sham taping conditions, and 5) all pre-selected activity difficulty score were improved for the ankle syndesmosis taping condition while only part of them got improved in the sham taping one. These results concluded that the lunge distance device was a valid and reliable device for measurement of ankle dorsiflexion capacity, which can be used for clinical evaluation and outcome measurement. Ankle sydesmosis taping immediately improved ankle dorsiflexion capacity and performance of functional activities in individuals with ankle syndesmosis injury, suggesting that ankle syndesmosis taping be a novel intervention to ankle syndesmosis injury. The present research highlights the function of lunge distance device and provides the first objective level IV evidence of Evidence-Based Medicine for the immediate effect of ankle syndesmosis taping. Future studies should be conducted to investigate its long-term effect and mechanism of ankle syndesmosis taping to ankle syndesmosis injury. | en |