AutoresRemei Prat-Riera, Carlos Polis-Yanes, Sonia Egido‐Moreno, Carlos Arranz-Obispo, Beatríz González-Navarro, José López‐López
Background surgical extraction of impacted mandibular third molars is frequently associated with postoperative pain, swelling and trismus. Kinesio Taping (KT) has been proposed as a non-pharmacological adjunct therapy, despite evidence remaining inconclusive. Methods: a systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted according to PRISMA guidelines and registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251120841). PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched from January 2010 to October 2025. Randomized controlled trials evaluating KT after mandibular third-molar extraction were included. Risk of bias was assessed using the revised Cochrane Risk-of-Bias Tool (RoB 2.0). Results: Ten randomized controlled trials (442 patients) were included. KT significantly reduced postoperative pain in the early postoperative period (MD −2.06 VAS units, 95% CI −3.15 to −0.96; p = 0.0002; I2 = 97%) and at day 7 (MD −0.78, 95% CI −1.52 to −0.05; p = 0.04; I2 = 99%). Facial edema was reduced in the early postoperative period (SMD −1.46, 95% CI −2.47 to −0.45; p = 0.005; I2 = 95%), though estimates should be interpreted with caution given the methodological heterogeneity. No significant reduction was observed at day 7 (SMD −0.33, 95% CI −0.92 to 0.27; p = 0.28; I2 = 87%). Mouth opening improved in both the early (MD −2.78 mm; I2 = 100%) and late periods (MD −4.63 mm; I2 = 87%). The overall certainty of evidence was rated as very low (GRADE). Conclusion: KT may reduce pain and trismus after third-molar extraction, with a reduction in facial swelling. Due to very high heterogeneity, high risk of bias, and very low certainty of evidence, these findings should be interpreted with caution. Further high-quality placebo-controlled trials are needed.
