Table 2 Included studies, n = 9 (reported in nine articles and one poster)
From: To tape or not to tape: annular ligament (pulley) injuries in rock climbers—a systematic review
References, country | Study design | Participants | Intervention | Comparison | Outcome measures | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bollen [7], UK | Case report | n = 1 (rock climber with pulley injury and clinical presentation of bowstringing), age 20, male | Taping, base of finger | None | Time to return to sports (RTS); pain; bowstringing | n = 1 could RTS without pain nor loss of function at 4w and 6mo follow up, bowstringing remained unchanged |
Dykes et al. [27], USA | Randomized crossover trial | n = 10 (uninjured rock climbers); age range 18–22; 10 men, no women | Circular taping; H-taping. Loading of FDS & FDP in open hand & full crimp on “distal phalanx wide” edge | No taping. Loading of FDS & FDP in open hand & full crimp on “distal phalanx wide” edge | Muscle activation of FDS & FDP, measured with EMG | No difference in muscle activation of FDS & FDP between taped & non-taped fingers (p = 0.07) |
Niegl et al. [17], Austria | Crossover trial | n = 11 (uninjured rock climbers); mean age 25; 11 men, no women | Circular taping. Loading of right hand in full crimp on 15 mm edge | No taping. Loading of right hand in full crimp on 15 mm edge | Changes in joint angles of PIP/DIP. Used to deduct force reduction against A2 (%) | 14° less PIP-flexion in taped compared to non-taped finger. 10° less DIP-hyperextension in taped compared to non-taped finger (p < 0.01)*. On this basis Niegl et al. assumed a reduction of force on A2 by 11% |
Partner et al. [28], UK | Randomized crossover trial | n = 50 (uninjured rock climbers); age unspecified; 25 men, 25 women | H-taping. Loading of hands in full crimp with Jamar dynamometer | No taping. Loading of hands in full crimp with Jamar dynamometer | Finger strength (MVC), measured with Jamar plus digital dynamometer | No difference in MVC between taped & non-taped fingers (p = 0.92) |
Schweizer [6], Switzerland | Crossover trial | n = 16 (fingers) on 4 uninjured individuals; 3 men (30, 30 & 58 years of age), 1 woman (30 years of age) | Circular taping (over A2, or distal end of proximal phalange). Loading of dig. 3 & 4 in full crimp on 22 mm edge | No taping. Loading of dig. 3 & 4 in full crimp on 22 mm edge | Bowstringing (mm); force absorbed by taping (N); force of bowstringing (N) | Taping over A2 decreased bowstringing by 0.05 mm (2.8%) (p = 0.61) & at end of proximal phalange by 0.75 mm (22%) (p < 0.01)*. [NB: we calculated p-values from available mean, SD & sample size.] Taping absorbed 41–46 N (11–12%) of force from bowstringing. Force of bowstringing could not be measured, since the test proved too painful to the participants, and had to be aborted |
Schöffl et al. [15], Germany | Crossover trial | n = 12 (rock climbers with previous pulley injuries (> 1 year earlier), grade 1–3); mean age 36; 12 men, no women | Circular taping; 8-taping; H-taping. Loading of single finger in full crimp & open hand on 20 mm edge | No taping. Loading of single finger in full crimp & open hand on 20 mm edge | Bowstringing (mm); finger strength (MVC) | Bowstringing without tape 3.77 mm, with 8-taping 3.70 mm, with circular taping 3.59 mm, with H-taping 3.19 mm (p < 0.05)*. MVC in injured finger was 13% higher with H-taping compared to no taping in full crimp (p < 0.01)*. [NB: I. Schöffl et al. reports different values in their body text and table for MVC, but have explained in private correspondence that this is due to rounding of decimals, and that the true between group difference of MVC is 13%] Taping made no difference to MVC in open hand or uninjured finger |
Prospective cohort study | n = 122 (rock climbers with pulley injuries, grade 1–4); mean age 29; 110 men, 12 women | Immobilization (2w), functional training (2-4w) & circular taping (grade 1–2, 3mo) or protective orthosis & circular taping (grade 3, 6mo). Surgery (grade 4) | None | Time to return to sports (RTS); pain | n = 87–88 available to follow up. n = 73 (grade 1–3) could RTS at 3mo with no to minor pain (n = 6 continued taping > 12mo), n = 7 with persistent pain received corticosteroid injections & n = 1 proceeded to surgery. n = 7 (grade 4) straight to surgery [NB: V. Schöffl et al. reports one extra surgery participant in their German publication compared to their English, highlighted in italics above] | |
Tufaro et al. [29], USA | Controlled clinical trial | n = 112 (fingers) on 14 pairs of fresh frozen cadaver hands); age range 50–98, sex not specified | H-taping. Loading of single fingertip in full crimp until rupture of A2 (partially torn & intact) | No taping. Loading of single fingertip until rupture of A2 (partially torn & intact) | Force at A2 rupture (N); bowstringing (mm), but only measured for un-taped comparison | No difference between taped & non-taped finger at pulley rupture (torn A2, p = 0.39 & intact A2 p = 0.69) |
Warme and Brooks [9], USA | Randomized controlled trial | n = 72 (fingers) on 9 pairs of fresh frozen cadaver hands); age range 20–47; 4 men, 5 women | Circular taping. Loading of single fingertip in full crimp until rupture of A2 | No taping. Loading of single fingertip until rupture of A2 | Force at pulley rupture (N) | No difference between taped & non-taped finger at pulley rupture (p = 0.53) |