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RecruitingNCT05971966Updated Sep 5, 2023

Effects of Virtual Reality Rehabilitation and Muscle Energy Technique in Patients With Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome.

An interventional study of Virtual Reality technique and Muscle energy technique in Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome and Knee Pain Chronic, sponsored by Riphah International University. Recruiting at 1 site in Pakistan. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 40 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2023-09-05.

Sponsored by Riphah International University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Primary completion was expected by Mar 2024, 2 years 6 months ago, but the record still lists the study as recruiting.
  • Started Aug 2023; still recruiting 3 years 1 month later.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
32
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 40 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The aim of this randomized controlled trial is to determine the effects of Virtual reality rehabilitation and muscle energy techniques in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome for reducing pain, enhancing knee range of motion and improve functional activities.

Read the detailed description

Muscle energy technique is defined as a manual treatment in which patient produces a contraction in a precisely controlled position and direction against the counterforce applied by a manual therapist. Applications of MET to stretch and increase myofascial tissue extensibility seem to affect viscoelastic and plastic tissue property.

Virtual reality generates a virtual world in three dimensional space through a computer simulation that stimulates user senses, such as sight and hearing, making users feel as if they are immersed in it. VRBR is effective in improving knee pain, ROM, strength and functions. immersive VR is more appropriate for pain reduction, improving range of motion and functional activities. It distracts the patient and allows to perform active and rehabilitation exercises to reduce cognitive attention in pain and avoidance behavior.

02

Conditions studied

  • Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
  • Knee Pain Chronic

Keywords

  • muscle energy technique
  • virtual reality technique
  • knee pain
03

In context

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

295 studies on the registry are indexed under Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome; 75 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 32 is below the median of 45 across 242 interventional studies indexed under Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome.

Browse Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome studies →

Lead sponsor

Riphah International University is the lead sponsor of 2,133 studies on the registry; 633 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 40 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Age group 18-40
  • Both males and females
  • Retropatellar or anterior knee pain for atleast past 3 months
  • Having knee pain in atleast 2 activities among stair ascent and descent,squatting over 90 degrees, running,jumping,kneeling and prolong sitting with knees flexed.
  • Experience pain in one of the following knee tests; a) pain on patellar grinding test, b) pain on apprehension test, c) pain during resisted extension of the knee during 90 degree flexion

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Cervical radiculopathy
  • Neurological disorder
  • Pregnancy
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Hip or ankle injuries
  • Patellar instabilities
  • Meniscal or ligament tear
  • Who have visual or auditory problems
  • With cognitive issues
  • Previous surgery related to lower limbs/ radiculopathy
  • having received knee injections of corticosteroids or hyaluronic acid
  • knee osteoarthritis
  • drug use that affects the balance during the past 72 h.
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Single (Participant)
Enrollment
32 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Virtual Reality technique

    Virtual reality technique+ Conventional PT

    Other: Virtual Reality technique

  • Experimental
    Muscle energy technique

    Muscle energy technique + Conventional PT

    Other: Muscle energy technique

Interventions

  • OtherVirtual Reality technique

    They would be receiving treatment as follow: Specific exercises by using virtual reality with conventional treatment. The VR game included holopoint,hot squat and portal stories that will target the hamstring, quadriceps and gluteas muscles.Frequency: 3 times/week for 4 weeks Intensity: moderate intensity (pain free) Time: 20 mins Type: virtual reality gaming exercises Conventional PT including patellar mobilization+ ultrasound on anterior knee in supine lying + stretching of ITB . Frequency: 10 reps with 5 sec hold for 3 times/week for 4 weeks Intensity: moderate-high intensity (depending on pain tolerance) Time: 10 mins

  • OtherMuscle energy technique

    They would be receiving treatment as follow: Muscle energy technique of quadriceps and hamstring muscles. Frequency: 3 times/week for 4 weeks Intensity: moderate intensity (pain free) Time: 20 mins Type: Muscle energy technique to improve range of motion. Conventional PT including patellar mobilization + ultrasound on anterior knee in supine lying + stretching of ITB. Frequency: 10 reps with 5 sec hold for 3 times/week for 2 weeks Intensity: moderate-high intensity (depending on pain tolerance) Time: 10 mins

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Kujala questionnaire

    It is a self administered questionnaire for patients with PFPS that consists of 13 questions that relate to specified activities, pain severity, and clinical symptoms. The scores range from a maximum of 100 to a minimum of 0, with lower scores indicating greater pain and disability.

    Time frame: 4 weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. Visual analogue scale (VAS)

    VAS is a qualitative pain measurement tool that assigns integer numbers between zero and 10 to different pain levels, where zero means no pain and 10 means excruciating pain. VAS is a reliable scale to measure knee pain

    Time frame: 4 weeks

  2. Goniometer

    It is an instrument that measures the available range of motion at a joint.

    Time frame: 4 weeks

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • Dr.z pain & brain physiotherapy center
    Islamabad, Punjab, Pakistan
    • KINZA ANWAR, MS-OMPT · Contact · kinza.anwar@riphah.edu.pk · +92-3239735427
    • Nayab Mehmood, MS-OMPT* · Contact
    • Nayab Mehmood, MS-OMPT* · Sub investigator
    Recruiting
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Sep 5, 2023, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05971966
Lead sponsor
Riphah International University
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Aug 2, 2023
Start date
Aug 30, 2023
Primary completion
Mar 28, 2024 (estimated)
Completion
Apr 28, 2024 (estimated)
Last update
Sep 5, 2023

Study contacts

Kinza Anwar, MS-OMPT
Contact
kinza.anwar@riphah.edu.pk
+92-3239735427
Kinza Anwar, MS-OMPT
principal investigator · Riphah International University

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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