[Evaluation of mechanical and neurophysiological effects of wearing bandages for the knee joint in functional testing...

The purpose of the study was to estimate the stabilising effects of two functional bandages for the knee joint. Two mechanisms typically leading to knee injuries were simulated. Three-dimensional recordings of knee joint angles and recordings of the tibial displacement in anterior-posterior direction were used to determine the destabilisation of the knee joint as a result of the applied mechanical stimuli, as well as the stabilising support of wearing the bandages. Reflex activations of the knee joint muscles and their modulation by the bandages were measured by EMG. To estimate limitations of the sports performance by the bandages, the subjects performed an additional test for postural stability. The testing performance, the three-dimensional knee joint angles and muscle activities were measured. While the FUTURO(R)-knee joint bandage (BDF AG) caused both mechanical and neurophysiological effects, the action of the KASSELER bandage (Sporlastic(R) GmbH) relied solely on the enhancement of muscular activities. The applied methods proved to be a very useful tool for the evaluation of stabilising effects of bandages in functional situations.