Use of Wii Fit (TM) to Increase Compliance With Home Exercises in Treating Patellofemoral Syndrome

The Use of Wii Fit ™ to Increase Compliance With Home Exercises for Treatment of Patellofemoral Syndrome in Adolescent Females

To determine the utility of the Wii Fit TM interactive video game program in patellofemoral symptom resolution, development of increased muscle strength and flexibility as a result of increased compliance with home exercises in adolescent females with patellofemoral syndrome.

Study Overview

• Status: Terminated
• Conditions: Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome; Anterior Knee Pain Syndrome; Patellofemoral Syndrome
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Wii Fit (TM) Interactive Video Game; Other: Traditional Home Exercise Program

Detailed Description

Patellofemoral syndrome (PFS) is a very common diagnosis amongst adolescents and young adults. Symptoms can be chronic in nature and interfere with sporting activity and activities of daily living. Current treatment consists of home exercises to increase muscular strength and flexibility. Adolescents are known to have poor compliance with treatments for chronic illnesses.

There is a paucity of published literature surrounding the Wii TM Interactive Video Game. There has been one published report of the use of Wii Fit TM in rehabilitation where participants used the Wii Fit TM to train proprioception after ankle injury. Individuals that participated in the Wii Fit TM group found improvement in their balance on objective measures as well as increased enjoyment with their treatment plan. One anecdotal report used the Wii TM video game in physiotherapy treatments of a college athlete and found a dramatic increase in attendance compliance after introduction of the video game.

This randomized controlled study will determine if using the Wii Fit TM for home exercise completion will increase compliance and subsequently improve symptoms related to patellofemoral syndrome in adolescent females.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 22
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Manitoba
    • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, R2M 5L6
      • Legacy Sport Medicine

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 11 years to 17 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Female between ages of 11 and 17 years of age
• A diagnosis of patellofemoral syndrome with one or more of the following symptoms: anterior knee pain, positive theater sign, stairs provoking knee pain.
• No physiotherapy or regular, structured home exercise program is being followed
• Parental/guardian consent to participate
• Patient assent to participate

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients participating in physiotherapy at the time of initial assessment or have had physiotherapy in the last 6 months for patellofemoral syndrome
• Patients performing regular home exercise program prescribed by physician, physiotherapist, or other allied health professional for patellofemoral syndrome at time of initial assessment
• Patients who have additional knee pathology (e.g. acute patellar dislocation; acute internal knee derangement (i.e. meniscal, ligament injury); osteochondritis dissecans; severe apophysitis or tendinitis) that could interfere with rehabilitation exercises due to pain or instability from these conditions
• Individuals with history of knee surgery
• Individuals that have a Wii Fit TM video game at home
• Individuals for whom consent and assent is not obtained

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Wii Fit (TM) Interactive Video Game	Other: Wii Fit (TM) Interactive Video Game; Use of interactive video game exercise program on a daily basis focusing on quadriceps and hamstring flexibility along with VMO strengthening.; Other Names: Nintendo Wii Fit (TM)
Active Comparator: Traditional Home Exercise Program	Other: Traditional Home Exercise Program; Completion of daily home exercise program for quadriceps and hamstring flexibility and VMO strengthening.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Percentage of Exercise Days Completed.	Calculated for the 12 week period as daily exercise completion rate as percentage	3 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Changes in Patellofemoral Symptoms	3 months
Change in Hamstring Flexibility	3 months
Change in Quadriceps Flexibility	3 months
Change in Vastus Medialis Oblique Muscle Strength	3 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Manitoba
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Erika B Persson, MD, University of Manitoba

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: October 1, 2009
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 1, 2010
• Study Completion (Actual): September 1, 2010

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 3, 2009
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 3, 2009
• First Posted (Estimate): November 4, 2009

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): September 27, 2012
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 27, 2012
• Last Verified: June 1, 2010

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: treatment; compliance; anterior knee pain; adolescents; female; home exercises; patellofemoral syndrome; interactive video games
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Pathologic Processes; Disease; Joint Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Syndrome; Somatoform Disorders; Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
• Other Study ID Numbers: B2009:115