Comparison of Two Protocols for Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS)

September 21, 2012 updated by: Gabriel Peixoto Leão Almeida, PT, University of Sao Paulo

Quadriceps Femoris Strengthening Versus Hamstring Stretching for Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

The patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is defined as a painful complaint in the anterior aspect of the knee, although peripatellar pain and / or retropatellar are also common. In general, conservative treatment is the initial option of choice for patients with PFPS, however, the lack of a specific causal factor makes it difficult to choose the best treatment so early. This way, the purpose of this study is investigate the effects of the quadriceps femoris strengthening versus hamstring stretching in patients with pattellofemoral pain.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

20

Phase

  • Phase 2
  • Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Locations

  • Brazil
      • São Paulo, Brazil, 05360-000
        • Physical Therapy, Speech and Occupational Therapy Department, University of São Paulo.

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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 40 years (ADULT)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Symptoms of anterior knee pain for at least 1 moth;
  • Average pain level of 3 or more on a 10-cm visual analogue scale during stepping up and down a 25-cm height;
  • Anterior or retropatellar knee pain on at least 2 of the following activities: prolonged sitting, climbing stairs, squatting, running, kneeling, and hopping/jumping;
  • Presence of 2 of the following clinical criteria on assessment: pain during apprehension test, pain during the patellar compression test, and crepitation during the compression test.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Previous knee surgery or arthritis;
  • History of patellar dislocation or subluxation, malalignment, or ligament laxity;
  • Patellar tendon pathology or chondral damage;
  • Spinal referred pain;
  • History of other abnormalities such as leg length inequalities (>2 cm);
  • Medication as a part of the treatment;
  • Previous physical therapy or acupuncture treatment for the knee within the previous 30 days.

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
  • Masking: NONE

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
ACTIVE_COMPARATOR: Quadriceps Strengthening
Other: Quadriceps Strengthening
ACTIVE_COMPARATOR: Stretching Hamstring
Other: Stretching Hamstring

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Numeric Pain Rating Scale
Time Frame: Participants will be followed for the duration of 8 weeks.
Pain was assessed using an 11-point numeric pain rating scale (NPRS), on which 0 denoted an absence of pain and 10 denoted unbearable pain.
Participants will be followed for the duration of 8 weeks.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Lysholm Scale
Time Frame: Participants will be followed for the duration of 8 weeks.
This questionnaire is made up of eight items with objective response options. The final score is expressed in nominal and ordinal form, as follows: 95 to 100 points - excellent; 84 to 94 points - good; 65 to 83 points - fair; and 64 or fewer points - poor.
Participants will be followed for the duration of 8 weeks.

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

University of Sao Paulo

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

March 1, 2008

Primary Completion (ACTUAL)

February 1, 2011

Study Completion (ACTUAL)

September 1, 2011

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 16, 2012

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 19, 2012

First Posted (ESTIMATE)

September 24, 2012

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (ESTIMATE)

September 25, 2012

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 21, 2012

Last Verified

September 1, 2012

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • USP01

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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