Core Stability Exercises Versus Proprioceptive Training on Pain and Function in Patients With Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS)

June 18, 2026 updated by: Mohamed Hassan Ibrahim Salama, Cairo University
This study will be conducted to investigate the effect of core stability exercises versus proprioceptive training in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet 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

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) is one of the most prevalent musculoskeletal disorders causing anterior knee pain, particularly during activities that increase patellofemoral joint stress such as squatting, stair climbing, running, or prolonged sitting .Core stability exercises play a fundamental role in maintaining the kinetic chain alignment between the trunk, pelvis, and lower limb. Dysfunction of the lumbopelvic-hip complex can lead to compensatory movement patterns, increasing stress on the knee joint. Strengthening the core muscles, particularly the transversus abdominis, multifidus, and gluteal muscles, enhances postural control and optimizes force transmission during dynamic activities. Proprioceptive training, on the other hand, targets sensorimotor control by enhancing afferent feedback and neuromuscular coordination. Individuals with PFPS often present with impaired joint position sense and delayed neuromuscular responses around the knee, which may contribute to joint instability and persistent pain. Proprioceptive exercises, including balance, perturbation, and kinesthetic training, improve joint stability and coordination by stimulating mechanoreceptors and enhancing central processing of sensory input.Therefore, this study will aim to fill an important gap in the current literature by directly comparing the effects of core stabilization exercises and proprioceptive training on pain intensity, pain pressure threshold, quadriceps muscle strength, and proprioceptive acuity of knee, knee joint range of motion and functional ability in patients with PFPS

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.
63

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 Contact Backup

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

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • A confirmed diagnosis of Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) based on clinical and radiographic examination, with no evidence of other knee pathologies, as verified by an orthopaedic physician
  • Presence of unilateral PFPS for a minimum duration of three months, indicating a chronic condition
  • Age between 18 and 40 years, representing the typical symptomatic population affected by PFPS
  • Body Mass Index (BMI) less than 30 kg/m², ensuring exclusion of obesity as a confounding factor.
  • Report of increased anterior knee pain during at least two of the following patellofemoral stress-provoking activities: stair ascent or descent, squatting, kneeling, running, or prolonged sitting
  • A positive patellar grind test (Clarke's sign) confirming involvement of the patellofemoral joint

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Presence of chronic pain conditions unrelated to Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) as Rheumatoid arthritis, Chronic neuropathic pain, chronic low back pain and knee and hip osteoarthritis.
  • Pregnancy or history of recent trauma affecting the pelvic or knee region
  • History of corticosteroid injection in the affected knee
  • Presence of ankle arthritis or gouty arthritis, which may alter lower-limb biomechanics
  • History of previous surgical intervention involving the lumbar spine, hip, knee, or foot
  • Presence of lower-limb structural deformities, including pes planus, knee valgus, or knee varus deformities

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: Single

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.
Experimental: Core Stability Exercises
twenty one patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome will receive Core stability exercises + traditional physical therapy three times a week for four weeks.
Other: Core Stability Exercises
core stability exercises including warm-up, main training, and cool-down phases; warm up exercises in the form of Cat-Camel exercise will be performed for 5-8 cycles to mobilize the spine and promote smooth segmental motion. The primary main training consisted of McGill's "Big Three" core stabilization exercises, which emphasize endurance and control of the deep stabilizing muscles, curl up, side bridge, and Quadrupedal stance, finallly the cool down phase had dynamic stretching at the end of each session to reduce muscle tension and promote recovery plus tradional therapy
Other: traditional therapy
tradional therapy in the form of interferential therapy, knee strengthening exercises, knee strengthening exercises, stretching exercises, patellar mobilization and ischemic compression
Experimental: Proprioceptive Training
Twenty-one patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome will receive proprioceptive exercises + traditional physical therapy three times a week for four weeks.
Other: traditional therapy
tradional therapy in the form of interferential therapy, knee strengthening exercises, knee strengthening exercises, stretching exercises, patellar mobilization and ischemic compression
Other: Proprioceptive Training
proprioceptive training consisted of group of exercises for balance on 1 leg on a stable surface and a unstable surface. in addition to tradional therapy.
Active Comparator: traditional therapy
twenty one patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome will receive traditional physical therapy three times a week for four weeks.
Other: traditional therapy
tradional therapy in the form of interferential therapy, knee strengthening exercises, knee strengthening exercises, stretching exercises, patellar mobilization and ischemic compression

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
pain intensity
Time Frame: up to four weeks
pain will be assessed by VAS which line on a 100 mm , where 0 indicates no pain and 100 indicates the worst possible pain.
up to four weeks
knee disability
Time Frame: up to four weeks
knee disability will be assessed by Kujala Patellofemoral Questionnaire.Which is a 13-item questionnaire including different items on pain related to functioning and activities. The categories within each item are weighted and item scores summed to provide an overall index scored from 0 to 100, where the maximum score of 100 represents no disability.
up to four weeks

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
pressure pain threshold
Time Frame: up to four weeks
The pressure algometer will be used to assess pressure pain threshold
up to four weeks
knee range of motion
Time Frame: up to four weeks
The electro goniometer will be used to assess knee range of motion.
up to four weeks
knee proprioception (joint position error)
Time Frame: up to four weeks
proprioception will beassesseds by electrogoniometer. The participant's knee will be passively positioned at a target angle (e.g., 30° flexion) then returned to the starting position, then the patient will be asked to actively reproduce the target angle.The absolute angular error (degrees) between the target and reproduced angles will be recorded.
up to four weeks
quadriceps muscle strength
Time Frame: up to four weeks
Quadriceps muscle strength will be measured by a handheld dynamometer.
up to four weeks

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.
Cairo University

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 (Estimated)

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.
June 30, 2026

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.
March 20, 2027

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.
March 20, 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).
June 18, 2026

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.
June 18, 2026

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 24, 2026

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.
June 24, 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.
June 18, 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.
June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

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.
  • P.T.REC/012/006411

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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