Efficacy of Adding Patellar Mobilization to Hip and Knee Exercises in Patients With Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

NCT ID: NCT05665452

Last Updated: 2024-08-21

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 59 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2023-01-15
• Study Completion Date: 2024-03-18

Brief Summary

Patellofemoral pain syndrome is a common source of anterior knee pain. The causes of PFPS may be multifactorial such as biomechanical disorders, muscle weakness which affect the dynamic stability of lower limb and alter patellar tracking in trochlear groove. Moreover, the syndrome associated with muscular tightness of iliotibial band, gastrocnemius, soleus, hamstring and quadriceps. Strengthening and stretching exercises are effective in improving patient's symptoms. However, they do not sufficient in correction of kinematic changes associated with PFPS. Patellar mobilization is effective in improving patient'symptoms in cases with PFPS. However, studies that conducted patellar mobilization were either low quality studies or no study combined patellar mobilization with hip and knee exercises.

Therefore, APTA guidelines recommended for conducting high quality study to investigate the effect of adding patellar mobilization to exercise therapy to support the definite recommendation delivered to therapists.

Detailed Description

this is interventional study in which patients will receive stretching and strengthening exercises in control group. in addition, experimental group will receive the same exercises of control group in addition to patellar mobilization, retinacula release and deep friction message.

Conditions

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: TRIPLE

Study Groups

Group (1)

patients will receive stretch and strength exercises

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Patellar mobilization, retinacula release, deep friction message, stretch and strength

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

All exercises will be performed for 30 to 45 minutes per session, 3 times per week for 4 weeks (12 sessions). Group (1): stretch exercises are performed for calf, hamstring, iliotibial band and quadriceps. strength exercises consist from open kinetic chain (hip abductors, hip external rotators and quadriceps) and closed kinetic chain exercises (mini wall squat exercise, forward step up exercise, lateral step up exercise and terminal knee extension exercise).

Group (2): stretch exercises are performed for calf, hamstring, iliotibial band and quadriceps. strength exercises consist from open kinetic chain (hip abductors, hip external rotators and quadriceps) and closed kinetic chain exercises (mini wall squat exercise, forward step up exercise, lateral step up exercise and terminal knee extension exercise). manual therapy consists from iliotibial band release, deep friction message for lateral retinacula and medial patella mobilization.

Group (2)

patients will receive stretch, strength, patellar mobilization, retinacula release and deep friction message

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Patellar mobilization, retinacula release, deep friction message, stretch and strength

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

All exercises will be performed for 30 to 45 minutes per session, 3 times per week for 4 weeks (12 sessions). Group (1): stretch exercises are performed for calf, hamstring, iliotibial band and quadriceps. strength exercises consist from open kinetic chain (hip abductors, hip external rotators and quadriceps) and closed kinetic chain exercises (mini wall squat exercise, forward step up exercise, lateral step up exercise and terminal knee extension exercise).

Group (2): stretch exercises are performed for calf, hamstring, iliotibial band and quadriceps. strength exercises consist from open kinetic chain (hip abductors, hip external rotators and quadriceps) and closed kinetic chain exercises (mini wall squat exercise, forward step up exercise, lateral step up exercise and terminal knee extension exercise). manual therapy consists from iliotibial band release, deep friction message for lateral retinacula and medial patella mobilization.

Interventions

Patellar mobilization, retinacula release, deep friction message, stretch and strength

All exercises will be performed for 30 to 45 minutes per session, 3 times per week for 4 weeks (12 sessions). Group (1): stretch exercises are performed for calf, hamstring, iliotibial band and quadriceps. strength exercises consist from open kinetic chain (hip abductors, hip external rotators and quadriceps) and closed kinetic chain exercises (mini wall squat exercise, forward step up exercise, lateral step up exercise and terminal knee extension exercise).

Group (2): stretch exercises are performed for calf, hamstring, iliotibial band and quadriceps. strength exercises consist from open kinetic chain (hip abductors, hip external rotators and quadriceps) and closed kinetic chain exercises (mini wall squat exercise, forward step up exercise, lateral step up exercise and terminal knee extension exercise). manual therapy consists from iliotibial band release, deep friction message for lateral retinacula and medial patella mobilization.

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

1. Age ranging between 18 and 35 years

2. Tenderness of medial and lateral borders of patella

3. Retropatellar pain

4. Duration of symptoms of patellofemoral pain syndrome is greater than 4 weeks

5. Positive patellar compression test

6. Pain intensity is more than 3 at visual analogue scale

7. Had a history of insidious onset

8. Had anterior knee pain during 2 or more of provocative activities that include stair ascent or descent, kneeling, prolonged sitting, or squatting

Exclusion Criteria

1. Previous patellar realignment surgery or patellar fracture

2. Had a history of traumatic patellar dislocation

3. Had a history of previous knee surgery

4. Had any form of inflammatory arthritis that include osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis

5. Had a history of knee menisci, ligaments, bursae, or synovial plica syndrome dysfunction

6. Taking corticosteroids or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication

7. Inability to attend treatment program to the end of sessions

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 35 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Cairo University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Nadia Abdo Mohamed Abdelhafez

Assistant lecturer at orthopedic department of faculty of physical therapy

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Nadia A Mohamed, Msc

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Assistant lecturer at orthopedic department of faculty of physical therapy

Locations

Cairo University

Giza, , Egypt

Countries

Egypt

References

Abdo N, Youssef EF, Ibrahim MM. Efficacy of adding manual therapy to hip and knee exercises in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome: a double-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial. Sci Rep. 2025 Sep 23;15(1):32655. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-17453-9.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 40987761 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

P.T.REC/012/004020

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id