SynthesisRheumatology international2025
Effectiveness of Kinesio taping without physical therapy for knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Synthesis in Rheumatology international, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- The impact of kinesiotaping on functional respiratory outcome in chest injuries-a pilot randomized trial.PeerJ · 2026Trial
- Kinesio taping in knee osteoarthritis: mechanisms, clinical evidence, and rehabilitation implementations.Rheumatology international · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common musculoskeletal disorder causing pain and stiffness. Kinesio tape (KT) is a flexible tape used for various musculoskeletal conditions, including KOA. This study systematically evaluates the effectiveness of KT without conventional physical therapy for KOA. A comprehensive search was conducted through PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science from inception to March 2025 for randomized trials evaluating KT without physical therapy for KOA (Prospero: CRD42024615432). The risk of bias was assessed using the ROB-2 tool, and the data analysis was conducted using Review Manager V5.4. A total of 16 randomized trials were included. KT significantly reduced the post-treatment pain at rest (MD: -0.75, 95% CI: -1.15, -0.34) and during movement (MD: -0.92, 95% CI: -1.65, -0.20) compared to sham KT. However, KT did not demonstrate a significant effect on long-term pain reduction. Additionally, KT significantly improved the WOMAC total score (MD: -0.60, 95% CI: -1.19, -0.01) and increased knee flexion range of motion (FROM) (MD: 6.04, 95% CI: 3.13, 8.96). However, KT showed no significant effect on knee extension range of motion (MD: -0.23, 95% CI: -1.70, 1.25). No risk of publication bias observed. KT reduces pain, improves function, and enhances knee FROM in KOA patients even without physical therapy. However, its long-term effects remain uncertain. Future studies should evaluate the long-term application of KT and its integration with other KOA management strategies. Prospero ID CRD42024615432.
Indexed as
Identifiers
40232317What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.