Treatment for Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome Using Footwear

University of Calgary36 enrolled

Overview

Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is the most common running injury and is believed to be associated with higher than normal knee joint loading. Footwear has been developed that may decrease these knee loads in healthy subjects, but their effects on patients with PFPS are unknown. In this study, we aim to test the effects of such footwear on patients with PFPS. We hypothesize that patients who receive the footwear intervention will show a decrease in knee joint loading, and consequently will show improvements in subjective levels of perceived knee pain over a period of six weeks compared to a control condition.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Interventions

Knee abduction moment-reducing footwearDEVICE

Patients in each study group will be asked to run using their assigned footwear at least 3 times per week (minimum 15 km per week) for six weeks. Each patient will document their perceived knee pain each week throughout the six week intervention.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 50 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Male or Female between 18 and 45 years of age. * Have been diagnosed with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) by a physician. * Have nontraumatic unilateral and/or bilateral peripatellar or retropatellar knee pain. * Patellofemoral knee pain with and/or after activity. * Inactivity patellofemoral pain and/or stiffness, especially with sitting with knees held in flexed posture. * Peripatellar tenderness ± mild inferior patellar pole tenderness. * Run at least 15km per week. * Are heel-toe runners (as opposed to forefoot strikers). Exclusion Criteria: * Are currently, or have previously, participated in any other forms of treatment for their knee pain. * Significant articular or periarticular effusion or bursitis. * Significant joint line tenderness. * Intra-articular ligamentous instability. * Patellar apprehension. * Have undergone any form of knee surgery or arthroscopy. * Have any other neuromuscular, musculoskeletal or cardiovascular conditions

Locations (1)

Human Performance Laboratory

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Knee joint internal abduction moments of force during running at 4m/s

Motion analysis trials will be conducted on each subject with both the control and intervention footwear. Inverse dynamics calculations will reveal the internal joint loading for each subject. Knee joint moments will be compared within subjects for each footwear condition.

Time frame: First day of joining the study

Secondary Outcomes

Change in subjective levels of perceived knee pain over six weeks

Pain levels will be recorded by 100mm visual analog scale during weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the study to monitor the efficacy of the intervention. Final change in pain will be compared between groups.

Time frame: Upon initial recruitment to the study, and once per week for six weeks thereafter

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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