## 4 Discussion
Even with normal mandibular condyle dimensions, there may be differences between the right and left sides, although not statistically significant [59]. Even individuals with no TMJ dysfunction may have a physiological asymmetry of 4-6% in volume between the two sides [59]. Hence, the right and left condylar volumes were assessed separately in this study to eliminate the effect of these differences. There is no existing protocol for using KT in the joint area for the purposes set in this study. Thus, taping was applied using the \"Star Space Correction\" technique, based on expert opinion, to overlap with the region targeted in another study [25], aiming to increase condylar volume. As KT is latex-free, it allows moisture and air to pass through the material. Moreover, the material can be worn for 3-4 days in a row (even in the shower) without compromising its adhesive quality [31]. Thus, based on a previous study [24], the applied tape was scheduled to be replaced every 3 days. The taping-free group achieved a significant change in both the right condylar volume (\(p=0.008\), \(p<0.05\)) and left condylar volume (\(p=0.019\), \(p<0.05\)) consistent with previous studies reporting that TB therapy stimulates condylar growth [60]. However, the lack of a control group in our study to exclude the possible effects of natural growth precluded us from drawing a clear conclusion. Indeed, the condylar cartilage may respond to growth hormones, and growth hormones and biomechanical factors may interact in the TMJ [30]. This could be a confounding factor in the interpretation of our results. The difference between the taping and non-taping groups in terms of right and left condylar volume changes was not significant (\(p>0.05\)). However, when the effect sizes of Group I and Group II were compared, it was clear that KT relatively increased both the right and left mandibular condyle volumes (Table 2). In our opinion, KT affects the volume of the mandibular condyle relatively but has no effect on the total volume during the active process. This finding is consistent with recent publications that showed no significant increase in muscle activity after taping [61]. This result is also in line with a study by [PERSON] et al., who investigated the effect of KT on the flexibility of the rectus femoris muscle and reported that KT did not significantly alter muscle flexibility [38]. Similarly, [PERSON] et al. applied KT to the gastrocnemius muscle and found no significant change in its extensibility or strength [62]. Although the effect of KT on tissues has been extensively studied, the biological and cellular mechanisms underlying its efficacy have yet to be elucidated. Some recent studies found the therapeutic efficacy of KT to be insufficient [63], which is in line with our findings. While the present study focused on the effect of KT on the mandibular condyle in patients receiving functional therapy, quantitative volumetric analyses of other bony components of the craniofacial skeleton or muscle activity should be performed in future studies. Considering the known effects of KT on muscles, further studies are required to investigate its effect on post-therapy relapse in patients using functional appliances. Moreover, based on the proven effect of KT on pain, further studies should assess masseter muscle pain in initial KT sessions used in conjunction with functional appliances. One of the limitations of our study was the sample size. Future studies would benefit from being conducted with larger sample sizes. Additionally, the absence of an untreated control group to validate the current findings and rule out the potential effects of natural growth is another limitation. However, it was deemed unethical to leave individuals with skeletal Class II malocclusion untreated, and thus, a control group was not included for comparison of treatment effects. Moreover, our assessments were short-term, highlighting the need for longer follow-up studies in the future.