Despite the fact that patellar straps and sports tape are frequently used by athletes, and the aforementioned theories notwithstanding, the actual effectiveness of these orthoses has –surprisingly – never been studied. The aim of this multicentre randomized controlled trial
was therefore to investigate the short-term effect of a patellar strap and sports tape on patellar tendon pain (1) during functional tests in a controlled environment and (2) in a sport-specific environment. The secondary aim was to investigate if there are specific characteristics
of patients that are related to the effectiveness of an orthosis.