Supplementation of strengthening of hip abductor and lateral rotator muscles in a strengthening quadriceps exercise programme provided additional benefits with respect to the perceived pain symptoms during functional activities in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome after six weeks of treatment.

Context: Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is a common knee condition in athletes. Recently, researchers have indicated that factors proximal to the knee, including hip muscle weakness and motor control impairment, contribute to the development of PFPS. However, no investigators have evaluated eccentric hip muscle function in people with PFPS.Objective: To compare the eccentric hip muscle function between females with PFPS and a female control group.Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Musculoskeletal laboratory.Patients or Other Participants: Two groups of females were studied: a group with PFPS (n 5 10) and a group with no history of lower extremity injury or surgery (n 5 10).Intervention(s): Eccentric torque of the hip musculature was evaluated on an isokinetic dynamometer.Main Outcome Measure(s): Eccentric hip abduction, adduction, and external and internal rotation peak torque were measured and expressed as a percentage of body mass (Nm/kg 3 100). We also evaluated eccentric hip adduction to abduction and internal to external rotation torque ratios. The peak torque value of 5 maximal eccentric contractions was used for calculation. Two-tailed, independent-samples t tests were used to compare torque results between groups.Results: Participants with PFPS exhibited much lower eccentric hip abduction (t 18 5 22.917, P 5 .008) and adduction (t 18 5 22.764, P 5 .009) peak torque values than did their healthy counterparts. No differences in eccentric hip external (t 18 5 0.45, P 5 .96) or internal (t 18 5 20.742, P 5 .47) rotation peak torque values were detected between the groups. The eccentric hip adduction to abduction torque ratio was much higher in the PFPS group than in the control group (t 18 5 2.113, P 5 .04), but we found no difference in the eccentric hip internal to external rotation torque ratios between the 2 groups (t 18 5 20.932, P 5 .36).Conclusions: Participants with PFPS demonstrated lower eccentric hip abduction and adduction peak torque and higher eccentric adduction to abduction torque ratios when compared with control participants. Thus, clinicians should consider eccentric hip abduction strengthening exercises when developing rehabilitation programs for females with PFPS.

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BACKGROUND: Cryotherapy is a widely used technique in physical therapy clinics and sports. However, the effects of cryotherapy on dynamic neuromuscular control are incompletely explained. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of cryotherapy applied to the calf, ankle and sole of the foot in healthy young adults on ground reaction forces during gait initiation. METHOD: This study evaluated the gait initiation forces, maximum propulsion, braking forces and impulses of 21 women volunteers through a force platform, which provided maximum and minimum ground reaction force values. To assess the effects of cooling, the task - gait initiation - was performed before ice application, immediately after and 30 minutes after removal of the ice pack. Ice was randomly applied on separate days to the calf, ankle and sole of the foot of the participants. RESULTS: It was demonstrated that ice application for 30 minutes to the sole of the foot and calf resulted in significant changes in the vertical force variables, which returned to their pre-application values 30 minutes after the removal of the ice pack. Ice application to the ankle only reduced propulsion impulse. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that although caution is necessary when performing activities that require good gait control, the application of ice to the ankle, sole of the foot or calf in 30-minute intervals may be safe even preceding such activities.

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