Meta‐analyses showed no significant changes in strength for any of the interventions . •
BACKGROUND : The addition of hip strengthening to knee strengthening for persons with patellofemoral pain has the potential to optimize treatment effects .
OBJECTIVE : To examine the efficacy of hip strengthening , associated or not with knee strengthening , to increase strength , reduce pain , and improve activity in individuals with patellofemoral pain .
Prospective evidence for a hip etiology in patellofemoral pain.
PURPOSE Patellofemoral pain ( PFP ) is the leading cause of knee pain in runners . Proximal and distal running mechanics have been linked to the development of PFP . However , the lack of prospect i ve studies limits establishing a causal relationship of these mechanics to PFP . The purpose of this study was to prospect ively compare running mechanics in a group of female runners who went on to develop PFP compared with healthy controls . It was hypothesized that runners who go on to develop PFP would exhibit greater hip adduction , hip internal rotation , and greater rear foot eversion . METHODS Four hundred healthy female runners underwent an instrumented gait analysis  and were then tracked for any injuries that they may have developed over a 2-yr period . Fifteen cases of PFP developed , which were confirmed by a medical professional . Their initial running mechanics were compared to an equal number of runners who remained uninjured . RESULTS We found that female runners who developed PFP exhibited significantly greater hip adduction ( P = 0.007 ) . No statistically significant differences were found for the hip internal rotation angle ( P = 0.47 ) or rear foot eversion ( P = 0.1 ) . CONCLUSIONS The finding of greater hip adduction in female runners who develop PFP is in agreement with previous cross-sectional studies . These results suggest that runners who develop PFP use a different proximal neuromuscular control strategy than those who remain healthy . Injury prevention and treatment strategies should consider addressing these altered hip mechanics
Meta‐analyses showed no significant changes in strength for any of the interventions . •
BACKGROUND : The addition of hip strengthening to knee strengthening for persons with patellofemoral pain has the potential to optimize treatment effects .
OBJECTIVE : To examine the efficacy of hip strengthening , associated or not with knee strengthening , to increase strength , reduce pain , and improve activity in individuals with patellofemoral pain .