Development of Elastic Tights with Taping Effect on Reducing Muscle Load caused by Movements of Knees

Abstract

This study aims to establish some guidelines for designing elastic tights with muscle-support performance that will reduce muscle load. Based on the results of our previous studies, we produced trial tights which had high vertical elastic from the anterior thigh over the patella to the anterior shank and could cover the soleus muscle. Once the trial tights were created, there was less difference than intended in the tensile properties between the trial tights and the normal tights. To compensate, we added elastic tape (up to 4 strips) to the trial tights to achieve the desired elastic strength. In the next stage, we produced some kinds of improved trial tights with the power-netting face and polyurethane film back. The effect of these tights on the leg muscles was examined by analyzing electromyograms (EMG) of some parts of leg muscle, which were measured while the subjects were walking, standing up, sitting down and jumping. We concluded that the most important results are as follows : 1) the moderate vertical tensile elastic is useful for reducing muscle load. 2) It is important that the tensile resistance of tights in the circumference of knees is low because of the need to bend one's knees easily. 3) If it is as strong as the power-net strip used in this study, the moderate space-width is necessary.