TY - JOUR
T1 - Patients with patellofemoral pain have lower soft tissue flexibility of the kinetic chain compared to healthy controls
T2 - A case-control study
AU - Ophey, Martin J.
AU - Bennink, Dide
AU - Bernsen, Jessica E.
AU - Blazevic, Iris
AU - van Bergen, Rick
AU - van den Berg, Robert
AU - Kerkhoffs, Gino M. M. J.
AU - Tak, Igor J. R.
N1 - Funding Information: The authors received no financial support for conducting this research project. Publisher Copyright: © 2023
PY - 2023/10/1
Y1 - 2023/10/1
N2 - Introduction: Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is a common musculoskeletal condition. Lower limb range of motion (LLROM) evaluates soft tissue flexibility over multiple joints as part of the kinetic chain. The aims were to study: 1) the reliability of a new LLROM test; 2) differences in LLROM between PFP patients and controls; and 3) the relationship between LLROM and pain-free knee function. Methods: Patients with PFP and matched controls were recruited from a university campus and private physiotherapy clinics, while observers were blinded for health status. Testing LLROM for maximal knee flexion and hip adduction and the sum of these (total ROM) were performed. Measures of reliability (ICC2,1) were established. Univariate linear regression between LLROM and health status and multivariate analysis between LLROM and knee function were performed. Results: Patients (n = 32 (7 male/25 female, age = 22, BMI = 22.7)) and controls (n = 32 (7 male/25 female, age = 20, BMI = 22.3)) were included. The ICC's for intra- and interobserver reliability ranged from 0.83 (95%CI 0.30–0.93) to 0.89 (0.72–0.95). Symptomatic legs had 7°(3–11, p = 0.014) lower knee flexion, 6°(4–8, p ≤ 0.001) lower hip adduction and 13°(8–17, p ≤ 0.001) lower total ROM than non-symptomatic legs. Multivariate analysis revealed an association between total ROM and pain-free knee function (R2 = 0.438, F = 6.544, p ≤ 0.001). Conclusions: The new LLROM test was found to be reliable. Patients with PFP had lower LLROM, which was associated with impaired pain-free knee function. Whether improving soft tissue flexibility results in enhanced pain-free knee function should be the subject of future research.
AB - Introduction: Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is a common musculoskeletal condition. Lower limb range of motion (LLROM) evaluates soft tissue flexibility over multiple joints as part of the kinetic chain. The aims were to study: 1) the reliability of a new LLROM test; 2) differences in LLROM between PFP patients and controls; and 3) the relationship between LLROM and pain-free knee function. Methods: Patients with PFP and matched controls were recruited from a university campus and private physiotherapy clinics, while observers were blinded for health status. Testing LLROM for maximal knee flexion and hip adduction and the sum of these (total ROM) were performed. Measures of reliability (ICC2,1) were established. Univariate linear regression between LLROM and health status and multivariate analysis between LLROM and knee function were performed. Results: Patients (n = 32 (7 male/25 female, age = 22, BMI = 22.7)) and controls (n = 32 (7 male/25 female, age = 20, BMI = 22.3)) were included. The ICC's for intra- and interobserver reliability ranged from 0.83 (95%CI 0.30–0.93) to 0.89 (0.72–0.95). Symptomatic legs had 7°(3–11, p = 0.014) lower knee flexion, 6°(4–8, p ≤ 0.001) lower hip adduction and 13°(8–17, p ≤ 0.001) lower total ROM than non-symptomatic legs. Multivariate analysis revealed an association between total ROM and pain-free knee function (R2 = 0.438, F = 6.544, p ≤ 0.001). Conclusions: The new LLROM test was found to be reliable. Patients with PFP had lower LLROM, which was associated with impaired pain-free knee function. Whether improving soft tissue flexibility results in enhanced pain-free knee function should be the subject of future research.
KW - Case-control study
KW - Musculoskeletal system
KW - Patellofemoral pain
KW - Soft tissue flexibility
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85165664970&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2023.06.006
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2023.06.006
M3 - Article
C2 - 37949561
SN - 1360-8592
VL - 36
SP - 203
EP - 209
JO - JOURNAL OF BODYWORK AND MOVEMENT THERAPIES
JF - JOURNAL OF BODYWORK AND MOVEMENT THERAPIES
ER -