Open Basketweave

The open basketweave has been around for many years and is still taught in many athletic training programs and texts. It is used to control swelling in an acute ankle injury situation. While still being taught you will very rarely see it in use.  Actually, the only time I have ever seen it applied to an athlete was while visiting the Naval Academy for a contest and I saw the legendary athletic trainer "Red" Romo apply it to a cadet using 1 inch white tape.  It was a work of art and it has stayed with me all these years.  

I have always been disillusioned with compression wraps for acute ankle sprains.  You spend you time working to reduce swelling or prevent it from occurring in the first place.  You then apply an elastic wrap with a horseshoe and send them on their way.  They return the next day either wrap in hand or reapplied in a fashion that affords no compression.  All your work is for naught as the ankle is swollen and you are back to square one.  The most common reason for athletes taking their compression wrap off is the need to shower.  

The introduction of Powertape offers a tape that does not absorb water.  It is a man made material that does not degrade when wet.  With this in mind, I began applying open basketweaves to acute ankle sprains and have been very pleased with the results.  The taping is applied after treatments are finished. It provides support by the use of stirrups, compression by the use of Powertape and PowerFlex.  You can adjust the amount of compression by how tight you apply the PowerFlex.  The taping is kept on until the next treatment session.  It is left on for showering as it is basically waterproof. The athletes do like it as it provides support throughout the day that an elastic wrap does not offer.  We have made it a standard part of our acute ankle sprain care.

Refresher on the Open Basketweave

Materials Needed:
3” PowerFlex (Andover Healthcare)
1” or 1 ½” PowerTape (Andover Healthcare)

PowerFlex is applied to the ankle for use as compression to the injured area. It is important to allow some stretch to remain to account for additional swelling. A horseshoe may be applied under the tape for additional compression to the injured area. 

 

PowerTape is a cohesive product that sticks to itself and PowerFlex. Three 1 ½” stirrups are applied for either lateral or medial ligamentous support. 

1” PowerTape is applied in the traditional fashion leaving the center open to allow for expansion.

 Four 1” strips are placed lengthwise over the tape ends.

The advantage of this method over an elastic wrap:

1. There is no need to remove this for the purpose of showering as the tapes do not absorb water. 
2. Support is provided to the injured area in addition to compression. 
3. Continuous compression and support are achieved throughout the day since the tape is not removed for bathing. 

Excellent results have been achieved since the tape is not removed until a return to the athletic training room. This allows for removal, treatment, and reapplication.