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

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: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Core Stability Exercises; Other: traditional therapy; Other: Proprioceptive Training

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: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 63
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: mohamed hassan, phd; Phone Number: 0 11 21363081; Email: mohamed.hassan.salama7@gmail.com
• Study Contact Backup: Name: mohamed hassan, phd; Phone Number: 01121363081; Email: mohamed.hassan.salama7@gmail.com

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• 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

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
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

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
pain intensity	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	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

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
pressure pain threshold	The pressure algometer will be used to assess pressure pain threshold	up to four weeks
knee range of motion	The electro goniometer will be used to assess knee range of motion.	up to four weeks
knee proprioception (joint position error)	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	Quadriceps muscle strength will be measured by a handheld dynamometer.	up to four weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Cairo University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): June 30, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): March 20, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 20, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 18, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 18, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): June 24, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 24, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 18, 2026
• Last Verified: June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Proprioceptive Training; Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome; Pain and Function; Core Stability Exercises
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neurologic Manifestations; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Joint Diseases; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Pain; Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
• Other Study ID 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