Abstract: BACKGROUND: As an effective protection method, taping has been widely used; however, the influence of different taping methods on the internal stress of the knee joint is not clear. 
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effect of different kinds of taping on knee kinematics, dynamics and the stress distribution of cartilage, meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament during prevention of drop jump landing in female basketball players.
METHODS: (1) Ten female basketball majors from Wuhan Sports University were recruited, with a height of (166.60±1.64) cm, a body mass of (57.50±2.87) kg and a mean age of (22.40±1.77) years. The knee joint kinematics and ground reaction forces data were collected in participants without taping, with kinesio taping and elastic adhesive taping during drop jump landing. (2) The stress distribution of knee joint model was analyzed, which was based on the three-dimensional finite element model of the knee joint, the kinematic data of knee joint at peak vertical ground reaction force as the boundary condition and the resultant force in the long axis direction of the femur as the load.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Drop jump landing data exhibited that knee valgus angles in non-taping and kinesio taping groups were larger than that in the elastic adhesive taping group when hitting the ground (P < 0.05). The knee valgus angles were larger in the non-taping group than that in the kinesio taping and elastic adhesive taping groups at the peak vertical ground reaction force (P < 0.05). The knee valgus angles were larger in the non-taping group than that in the kinesio taping and elastic adhesive taping groups in the buffering period (P < 0.05). The peak knee varus angle of non-taping group was smaller than that in the kinesio taping and elastic adhesive taping groups in the buffering period (P < 0.05). The peak internal rotation angle of the knee joint was larger in the non-taping and kinesio taping groups than that in the elastic adhesive taping group (P < 0.05). (2) Finite element model analysis results displayed that stress concentration was located in the middle of lateral condyle of femoral cartilage and lateral tibial cartilage, the medial margin of anterior horn of lateral meniscus in non-taping group. The middle of lateral condyle of femoral cartilage in the kinesio taping group, medial condyle of femoral cartilage in the elastic adhesive taping group, medial lateral part of medial tibial cartilage and medial margin of medial meniscus body in the kinesio taping and elastic adhesive taping groups were the stress concentration sites. (3) These results exhibited that the kinesio taping and elastic adhesive taping can reduce the sport mode of the frontal plane of the knee joint during landing buffering and decrease the stress on the lateral cartilage of the knee joint, the meniscus, and the femoral insertion of the anterior cruciate ligament. Furthermore, the elastic adhesive taping has a certain effect on promoting the horizontal internal rotation angle of knee joint. People with poor control of the frontal plane of the joint can use taping to improve the dynamic control of the knee joint during landing buffering and prevent the knee joint from injury.

Key words: kinesio taping, knee joint, finite element analysis, taping technology, basketball player, female