An interventional study of PowersTM strap in Patellofemoral Pain and Anterior Knee Pain, sponsored by University of Salford. Completed at 1 site in United Kingdom. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 45 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2018-03-19.
Sponsored by University of Salford · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
This study primarily aims to investigate arthrogenic muscle inhibition (AMI), an underlying mechanism in patellofemoral pain (PFP), which remain to date understudied. Although, studies have revealed that AMI needs to be eliminated before improvements in muscle strength can be achieved, to date quadriceps muscle inhibition in patients with PFP remains understudied. To date the influence of AMI on functional performance and the direct link to pain in patients with PFP remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the link between AMI to pain, functional performance and how an acute treatment can affect functional performance and pain.
Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is one of the most frequently diagnosed conditions in patients with knee complaints.
Studies investigating the therapeutic effect on PFP revealed that the majority of patients with PFP were still suffering of knee pain after 5 to 8 years, despite initially received treatment and education, indicating that the current treatments fail to prevent the chronicity of symptoms. Considering that current treatment-strategies of patients with PFP seem to be unable to avoid the development of chronic symptoms, the question arises if the underlying factors of PFP are understood sufficiently.
In contrary to the current broad body of literature on weakness, potentially underlying factors which might influence or even lead to PFP, such arthrogenic muscle inhibition (AMI) or the break phenomenon remain understudied.
Pain in PFP has been proven to be linked to quadriceps strength deficit, gluteal strength deficits, knee stability, irregularities in the quadriceps torque curve, and functional performance. Bazett et al. (2011) described that pain "is more than a symptom and might play a role in the etiology or progression of PFP". Furthermore, pain seems to play a crucial role in AMI. However, the correlation between pain and AMI in patients with PFP has not been investigated currently.
No assessment in isolation can provide a full picture of the problem. The combination of AMI, the break phenomenon with a biomechanical analysis might enable the determination of the impact of inhibition and strength on biomechanical changes. In addition, it might provide an answer to whether AMI or weakness cause biomechanical alterations, which would help to optimise treatment approaches in PFP.
The PowersTM strap strap was developed with the aim of assisting lower limb kinematics, decreasing knee varus through supporting femoral abduction and external rotation. This treatment may potentially also directly improve functional performance. As the functional performance in participants with PFP after the application of the PowersTM strap has not been investigated, this study aims to analyse if there is a direct link between the application of the PowersTM strap to functional performance and pain.
295 studies on the registry are indexed under Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome; 75 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 21 is below the median of 45 across 242 interventional studies indexed under Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome.
Browse Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome studies →University of Salford is the lead sponsor of 26 studies on the registry; 3 are open to participants now.
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Inclusion Criteria for patients with PFP:
Inclusion criteria for healthy volunteers:
Exclusion Criteria:
Healthy control group will attend one visit and functional performance, muscle strength and flexibility, quadriceps AMI, patellar position and posture will be measured. No intervention will be applied.
Other: PowersTM strap
The powers strap aims to decrease knee varus through supporting femoral abduction and external rotation. Participants will wear the Powers strap while performing functional tasks (running, squatting, single leg step down).
Influence of Powers strap
The influence of the Powers strap on functional performance will be investigated by analysing hip and knee kinematics and kinetics with and without the Powers strap in participants with PFP
Time frame: 1 day
This study is completed, as verified in Mar 2018. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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University of Salford