Original articleTraining Program and Additional Electric Muscle Stimulation for Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: A Pilot Study
Section snippets
Participants
Between June 2003 and August 2005, 64 participants were referred by outside orthopedic surgeons, and 40 fulfilled the eligibility criteria. Inclusion criteria were bilateral anterior knee pain for 6 to 120 months and at least 3 of the 4 following clinical criteria: pain associated with prolonged sitting with bended knees, descending stairs, kneeling and squatting, or sports activities.
Exclusion criteria were clinical evidence of patellar dislocation or subluxation, periarticular bursitis or
Pain and Function
In the supervised PT group, we started with 19 patients. One patient did not return for the 3-month control for personal reasons. Eighteen patients were analyzed after 3 months of training. In the PT group, 13 patients completed the 1-year follow-up. Of the 5 patients missing, 1 was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, 1 had to undergo knee surgery because of his PFPS, and 3 patients did not return for the 1-year follow-up investigations.
Nineteen patients started in the PT and EMS group,
Discussion
The results of the study indicate that a supervised PT training program over a period of 3 months can decrease pain and improve function in patients with PFPS. Both groups, PT as well as PT and EMS, showed significant and clinically relevant treatment effects.
The results are similar to those reported by Thomeé,11 Crossley,16 Boling,17 and colleagues. Our training program consisted of concentric and eccentric exercises of trunk and leg musculature and balance and stretching exercises. We used a
Conclusions
The results of our investigation contribute to the evidence that a supervised physiotherapeutic training program alone can reduce pain and improve function in patients with PFPS. The training program was successful despite a relatively long duration of complaints, irrespective of sex differences and individual sports activities before the start of the treatment program. The effects were observed without concomitant improvement in isometric strength values and appeared to last for at least 1
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Cited by (0)
Supported by Hochschuljubiläumsstiftung der Stadt Wien (grant no. 30/2000).
No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the authors or upon any organization with which the authors are associated.