Abnormal knee joint position sense in individuals with patellofemoral pain syndrome

Abstract

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to compare knee joint position sense (JPS) in 20 individuals with and 20 without patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). Five active tests with ipsilateral limb matching responses were performed at 20" and 60" flexion under non-weightbearing conditions, and at 40" flexion under uni-and bi-lateral weightbearing conditions. The response errors were calculated as the difference between each target and response position (accuracy) and the standard deviation of these differences (reliability).JPS was: (i) significantly less accurate and less consistent in the knees with PFPS during both the non-weightbearing and weightbearing tests when compared to the control subject knees; (ii) less accurate when the symptomatic and asymptomatic knees of the 13 uni-lateral PFPS subjects were compared and (iii) less accurate in the asymptomatic knees of the uni-lateral PFPS subjects and knees of the control subjects. The maximum intensity of pain experienced during each knee JPS test was not correlated to any of the JPS test results. The results confirm abnormal knee joint proprioception in individuals with PFPS. Although it cannot be determined whether the abnormality precedes or follows the development of PFPS, the results support including proprioceptive reeducation in management of PFPS.

An investigation into the effect of number of trials during proprioceptive testing in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome

“…8,9 However, a more recent study compared JPS in 20 PFPS patients and 20 matched healthy control subjects. 10 The results showed that the PFPS patients were significantly less accurate and less consistent than the healthy control subjects.…”

“…20,21 These target angles were also chosen to enable comparability with other previous work in this area. 10,22 The target angles and type of test were conducted in random order to prevent the confounding influence of learning effects. For PAR, the lever arm passively extended the limb at an angular velocity of 28/s to limit any reflexive muscle contractions.…”

“…The main aim of this study, therefore, was to investigate the effect of increasing numbers of trials in the assessment of knee joint position sense, in a group of patellofemoral patients. In addition, because investigators are choosing several target angles for their methodologies and using both active and passive movements, 8,10,15 the accuracy of target angle reproduction and the effect of passive and active movements were also investigated for two knee joint angles 608 and 208.…”

Análise do tempo de resposta reflexa dos músculos estabilizadores patelares em indivíduos com síndrome da dor patelofemural

“…The patellofemoral pain syndrome (PPS) frequently affects female athletes, the female sedentary population, and young women are most affected [1][2][3] . This syndrome is present in approximately 25% of orthopedic diagnoses 4 and is defined as a pain at the front of the knee and/or rear of the patella [4][5][6] .…”

“…Although the etiological factors of PPS are not well-defined, some authors have pointed towards biomechanical abnormalities in the lower limbs as the main cause [1][2][3] . Among the biomechanical factors most frequently correlated with the development of PPS, dynamic disequilibrium stands out 1,2 .…”