Treatment of patella alta with taping, exercise, mobilization, and functional activity modification: a case report

Knee pain associated with patella alta (PA) can limit involvement in sport or work activities and prevent an individual from performing basic functional tasks. This case report describes the use of patellar taping to treat an individual with PA. The patient was a 56 year-old female with bilateral knee pain associated with PA. The focus of treatment was to decrease pain during functional activities by using tape to correct patella alignment. The patient was also instructed on specific exercises and mobilizations. The primary outcome measure was the ADL subscale of the Knee Outcome Survey (ADL-KOS). Initially, the patient scored a 50 on the ADL-KOS and rated her function at 30% of normal. She demonstrated symptom improvement when tape was applied appropriately and was, therefore, instructed in tape application. At discharge, the patient scored a 56 on the ADL-KOS and rated her function at 70% of normal. This case demonstrates the effective use of a taping method for the treatment of pain associated with PA. Taping appears to be a safe, conservative, and cost-efficient measure to manage symptoms and to improve activity tolerance in this patient.