Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT01691170

Comparison of Two Protocols for Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

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.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome Joint Diseases Musculoskeletal Diseases

Age range

18 year–40 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 1 / Phase 2

Primary location

Physical Therapy, Speech and Occupational Therapy Department, University of São Paulo.

São Paulo, 05360-000, Brazil

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

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.

Treatment and study plan

Stretching Hamstring

Other

Quadriceps Strengthening

Other

Primary outcomes

  1. 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.

Secondary outcomes

  1. 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.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Sao Paulo

Other

Registry information

Official study title

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

Acronym: PFPS

Important dates

Study start
2008
Primary completion
2011
Study completion
2011
First posted
Sep 24, 2012
Registry last updated
Sep 25, 2012

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.