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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2018 Sep-Oct;22(5):408-416.
doi: 10.1016/j.bjpt.2018.03.009. Epub 2018 Apr 4.

Is hip strengthening the best treatment option for females with patellofemoral pain? A randomized controlled trial of three different types of exercises

Marcelo Camargo Saad  1 , Rodrigo Antunes de Vasconcelos  2 , Letícia Villani de Oliveira Mancinelli  3 , Matheus Soares de Barros Munno  3 , Rogério Ferreira Liporaci  4 , Débora Bevilaqua Grossi  5
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Is hip strengthening the best treatment option for females with patellofemoral pain? A randomized controlled trial of three different types of exercises

Marcelo Camargo Saad et al. Braz J Phys Ther. 2018 Sep-Oct.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effect of three types of exercise intervention in patients with patellofemoral pain and to verify the contributions of each intervention to pain control, function, and lower extremity kinematics.

Methods: A randomized controlled, single-blinded trial was conducted. Forty women with patellofemoral pain were randomly allocated into four groups: hip exercises, quadriceps exercises, stretching exercises and a control group (no intervention). Pain (using a visual analog scale), function (using the Anterior Knee Pain Scale), hip and quadriceps strength (using a handheld isometric dynamometer) and measuring lower limb kinematics during step up and down activities were evaluated at baseline and 8 weeks post intervention.

Results: All treatment groups showed significant improvements on pain and Anterior Knee Pain Scale after intervention with no statistically significant differences between groups except when compared to the control group. Only hip and quadriceps groups demonstrated improvements in muscle strength and knee valgus angle during the step activities.

Conclusion: Hip strengthening exercises were not more effective for pain relief and function compared to quadriceps or stretching exercises in females with patellofemoral pain. Only hip and quadriceps groups were able to decrease the incidence of dynamic valgus during step-down activity. This study was approved by Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry registration number: RBR-6tc7mj (http://www.ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-6tc7mj/).

Keywords: Anterior knee pain; Quadriceps and hip muscles.; Rehabilitation; Step up and down kinematics.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
CONSORT flowchart for subject selection for hip & knee muscle strength in PFP subjects. ITT, intention to treat.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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