Strength or Power Training for Patellofemoral Pain (STRIPE)

April 14, 2026 updated by: Neal Glaviano, University of Connecticut

Optimizing Clinical Outcomes for Patients With Patellofemoral Pain Using Strength Training Rehabilitation Incorporating Power Exercises

The objective of this study is to compare a novel 6-week strength training rehabilitation incorporating power exercises (STRIPE) program to a standard of care (SOC) program on short-term and long-term pain, subjective function, patellofemoral pain recurrence rates, and secondary outcomes (hip abduction and extension rate of torque development and single-leg squat kinematics). We hypothesize that participants with patellofemoral pain who complete the STRIPE program will have 1) decreased pain, 2) improved subjective function, 3) reduced patellofemoral pain recurrence rates, 4a) improved hip abduction/extension rate of torque development, and 4b) decreased hip adduction and pelvic drop during a single leg squat compared to participants who complete a SOC rehabilitation program.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The proposed study will compare strength-based exercises, which is the standard of care (SOC), that target the hip abductors, hip extensors, lumbo-pelvic, and quadriceps muscles, to a strength training program that utilized power-based exercises (Strength Training Rehabilitation Incorporating Power Exercises [STRIPE]). Individuals with patellofemoral pain, both within the military and general population, present with long-term pain, decreased subjective function, and high recurrence rates. Our primary outcomes are to determine intervention success with self-reported knee pain, measured by the visual analog scale, subjective function, measured by the anterior knee pain scale, and recurrence rates. Recent evidence suggests that two in every three individuals with patellofemoral pain report symptoms up to two years after seeking care, therefore we will assess patellofemoral pain recurrence rates for two years. Additionally, the proposed interventions target gluteal muscle function, supporting our selection of secondary outcome variables. We will assess rate of torque development, as power-based exercises are recommended to improve muscle capacity, of both the targeted gluteus medius and gluteus maximus. We will also assess frontal plane kinematics, as the gluteal muscles are responsible for controlling pelvic and hip motion during functional tasks.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
88

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Connecticut
      • Storrs, Connecticut, United States, 06269
        • University of Connecticut
    • Florida
      • Orlando, Florida, United States, 32816
        • University of Central Florida
    • Ohio
      • Toledo, Ohio, United States, 43606
        • University of Toledo

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 40 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Participants to be between the ages of 18-40 years old.
  • Insidious onset of symptoms greater than 3 months.
  • Worst pain in the previous month of 3/10 with two of the following tasks: prolonged sitting, jumping, squatting, kneeling, running, and stair ambulation.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Other forms of anterior knee pain (Osgood-Schlatter, tendon pain, bursitis, etc.).
  • History of lower extremity surgery.
  • History of patella subluxation, meniscal injury or ligamentous instability.
  • History of referred pain from the lumbar spine.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Standard of Care (SOC)
The SOC rehabilitation group will complete three strength sessions a week. All participants will be provided an educational pamphlet and exercises will be divided into four components - hip abductors, hip extensors, core, and quadriceps muscles. The load magnitude for exercises will be between 60-70% of their 1 repetition max (1RM), with 3 sets of 12 repetitions and a 2-3-minute rest between sets. Time under tension will be prescribed as slow to moderate, with a 2-second concentric phase and 2-second eccentric phase for each exercise. Hip abductor, hip extensor, and core exercises will be initiated during week 1 and continued for the 6-week intervention, while quadriceps focused exercises will be introduced in weeks 3-6.
Behavioral: Standard of Care Rehabilitation (SOC)
6 weeks of standard of care rehabilitation will be given designed to target the core, hip, and quadriceps muscles. Each participant will be expected to complete 3 supervised telehealth sessions per week.
Experimental: Strength Training Rehabilitation Incorporating Power Exercises (STRIPE)
Those in the STRIPE group will complete two power and one strength training sessions a week. All participants will be provided an educational pamphlet and exercises will be divided into four components - hip abductors, hip extensors, core, and quadriceps muscles. The load magnitude will be greater than 60% of the 1RM, with the goal of continually loading against heavy resistance. Participants will complete 4 sets of 6 repetitions, with 3-5 minutes of rest between sets. Time under tension will be prescribed as <1 second for the concentric phase and 1 second for the eccentric phase of the exercise. The strength training sessions will adhere to same parameters as the SOC. Hip abductor, hip extensor, and core exercises will be initiated during week 1 and continued for the 6-week intervention, while quadriceps focused exercises will be introduced in weeks 3-6.
Behavioral: Strength Training Rehabilitation Incorporating Power Exercises (STRIPE)
6 weeks of STRIPE rehabilitation will be given designed to target the core, hip, and quadriceps muscles. Each participant will be expected to complete 3 supervised telehealth sessions per week.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in knee pain.
Time Frame: Immediately after the intervention and then 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-intervention.
Data are presented as knee pain, assessed on the visual analog scale in centimeters, resulting in a score of 0-10, with 0 representing no pain and 10 being worst pain imaginable. Group means and standard deviations will be reported.
Immediately after the intervention and then 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-intervention.
Change in self-reported knee function.
Time Frame: Immediately after the intervention and then 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-intervention.

Data are presented as self-reported knee function, assessed by the anterior knee pain scale.

The scale ranged between 0-100, with 0 indicating complete disability and 100 indicating no disability. Group means and standard deviations will be reported.
Immediately after the intervention and then 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-intervention.
Patellofemoral pain recurrence
Time Frame: 6 months post intervention, 12-months post intervention, 18-months post intervention, and 24-months post intervention
The number of patients who report symptoms of patellofemoral pain
6 months post intervention, 12-months post intervention, 18-months post intervention, and 24-months post intervention
Change in hip rate of torque development
Time Frame: Immediately after the intervention.
Hip abduction and extension rate of torque development will be assessed with a handheld dynamometer. Data are reported as linear, with higher scores representing a faster ability to develop hip muscle force. Group means and standard deviations will be reported.
Immediately after the intervention.
Change in hip adduction during a single leg squat
Time Frame: Immediately after the intervention and then 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-intervention.
Data are presented as a degree, with a higher number representing a higher amount of hip adduction. Group means and standard deviations will be reported.
Immediately after the intervention and then 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-intervention.
Change in pelvic drop during a single leg squat
Time Frame: Immediately after the intervention and then 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-intervention.
Data are presented as a degree, with a higher number representing a higher amount of pelvic drop. Group means and standard deviations will be reported.
Immediately after the intervention and then 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-intervention.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in psychological factors
Time Frame: Immediately after the intervention and then 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-intervention.
Psychological factors will be measures with the PROMIS-10, a 10-item general self-reported questionnaire that assess general domains related to physical, mental, and social health, in addition to perceived quality of life. PROMIS-10 scores are standardized to the general population using a "T-Score", which is a score of 50 points and a standard deviation of 10-points. Higher scores on the PROMIS-10 indicate a healthier patient. Group means and standard deviations will be reported.
Immediately after the intervention and then 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-intervention.
Change in cognitive factors
Time Frame: Immediately after the intervention and then 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-intervention.
Cognitive factors will be assessed with the Fear-Avoidance Belief Questionnaire (FABQ), a dimension specific questionnaire. The FABQ contains two subscales - physical activity section that includes six-items, while the work section includes ten-items. The physical activity subscale score range between 0-24 and the work subscale is scored between 0-42. Higher scores identifying greater fear avoidance beliefs for both physical activity and work subscales. Group means and standard deviations will be reported.
Immediately after the intervention and then 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-intervention.
Change in coping strategy
Time Frame: Immediately after the intervention and then 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-intervention.
Coping strategies will be assessed with the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ), a dimension specific questionnaire. The PSEQ is a ten-item, dimension specific questionnaire that assesses how confident participants are with performing activities while experiencing pain. Each item is rated on a scale ranging from 0 ("not at all confident") to 6 ("completely confident"). The PSEQ score ranges between 0-60, with a higher score representing higher confidence to function with pain. Group means and standard deviations will be reported.
Immediately after the intervention and then 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-intervention.
Change in physical activity
Time Frame: Immediately after the intervention and then 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-intervention.
Physical activity will be quantified with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Form (IPAQ-SF), a dimension specific questionnaire. The IPAQ-SF is a 4-item short form that measures physical activity from the previous 7-days. Questions include the number of days per week the participant engaged in vigorous activities, moderate activities, walking, and sitting, with a follow-up question for each asking for duration of time for each task. Group means and standard deviations will be reported.
Immediately after the intervention and then 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-intervention.
Change in self-reported knee function
Time Frame: Immediately after the intervention and then 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-intervention.
The Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scale (KOOS) and the PFP subscale (KOOS-PF) will provide region and disease specific data throughout the study. The KOOS measures five separate dimensions; pain, symptoms, activities of daily living function, sports and recreational function, and quality of life. Each of the five domains are scored on a scale between 0-100, with lower scores representing greater impairments in self-reported function. The KOOS-PF subscale is an 11-item region specific questionnaire, ranging from 0-100, with greater scores also reflecting greater function.
Immediately after the intervention and then 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-intervention.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Connecticut

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
University of Central Florida
University of Toledo

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Neal Glaviano, PhD, University of Connecticut

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 13, 2022

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 15, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
September 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 31, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 31, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 3, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 17, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 14, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • HR22-0038
  • OR210126 (Other Grant/Funding Number: Department of Defense)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

IPD data will be available on request after manuscript has been published.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

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