Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Clinical Trial
. 1998 May;30(5):665-70.
doi: 10.1097/00005768-199805000-00004.

Randomized controlled trial of Protonics on patellar pain, position, and function

K E Timm  1
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Randomized controlled trial of Protonics on patellar pain, position, and function

K E Timm. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1998 May.

Abstract

Purpose: Patellofemoral pain (PFP) and abnormal patellofemoral congruence (PFC) are common athletic problems whose treatment remains controversial. This study examined the effects of a high volume of submaximal knee muscle exercise on objective measures of PFP and PFC under a test-retest design.

Methods: A sample of 100 subjects was randomly divided into two groups: control and treatment. All subjects of both groups were tested for PFC, using a Merchant x-ray view, function, via Kujala patellofemoral score (KPS), and pain, through a visual analog scale (VAS), initially and then 4 wk later. The treatment group exercised during activities of daily living (ADL) by wearing a Protonics device; the control group did not receive treatment.

Results: One-way analysis of variance tests found no difference between pre- and posttest results for the control group but found significant changes in PFC, KPS, and VAS (all P < 0.001). PFC and joint function improved, and PFP decreased in all subjects of the treatment group.

Conclusions/clinical relevance: It was concluded that the treatment reduced PFP and PFC as compared with the control. A high volume of submaximal knee exercise seems useful for clinical patients with PFP and abnormal PFC.

PubMed Disclaimer

Publication types