Rigid Taping and Patella Stabilizing Brace Methods in pwPFPS (Patient With Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome)

Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is a common musculoskeletal disease with an annual prevalence of 22.7%. Pain in the anterior of the knee and/or retropatellar and/or peripatellar region patellofemoral compression force increases, squatting, climbing stairs, prolonged sitting is characterized by increased pain related activities such as flexion after.

A large number of different treatment strategies have been proposed to examine these underlying factors and to address the resulting disorders and activity limitations. PFPS in the conservative treatment of patellar taping, stretching the shortened structures, the vastus medialis obliquus, strengthening activity modification, biofeedback, neuromuscular electrical stimulation, ultrasound, and foot orthoses and brace is located. The most frequently used for the treatment of patients with high effect size physiotherapy treatment and exercise training combined treatment in order to control the pain in the short and medium term, while the external knee supports-foot orthoses (brace), kinesiotape, rigid-band is used. It is known that the most commonly recommended external support for patients in the fight against PFPS in the clinical setting is kinesiological taping and brace. However, since kinesiotaping does not show orthotic properties like brace, their comparison with each other and the study of their effects give misleading results. The use of McConnell taping, which can show similar effects with both kinesiotaping and brace, gives clinically positive results. When the literature was examined, there was no study that examined the effectiveness of brace and rigid taping comparatively. In our study, we aim to investigate the extent to which we can change the impaired patella position in PFPS with the use of rigid tape and brace in accordance with this information in the literature and to examine the possible effects of rigid tape and brace, which we will apply to patients with PFPS, on balance, proprioception, gait and functionality in patients. In line with the results we will obtain, it is aimed to increase the effectiveness of treatment and shorten the recovery time by determining the external support that will help patients exercise and their movements in daily life.

H1: McConnell taping and patella stabilizing brace applications applied to patients with PFPS differ from each other in terms of proprioception, functionality, balance and gait parameters.

Voluntary participants who have been diagnosed with PFPS and agreed to voluntary health subjects will be included in the study. Signed voluntary consent will be obtained from participants. Participants will be divided into tree groups. One of the intervention groups will be taped first, then brace; the other will be used brace first, then tape. Healthy individuals will form the control group.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* being 18-50 years old
* Having been diagnosed with patellofemoral pain syndrome
* BMI \<30 kg/m2
* For the last 3 months, the pain in the front of the knee in descending stairs, squatting and functional activities has been \> 3 points on the visual analog scale

Exclusion Criteria:

* The presence of an organic lesion (chondromalesia patella, syndrome of excessive lateral pressure, peripatellar bursitis, bening-malignant neoplasm, tendonitis) that can cause pain in the front of the knee
* Having had steroid injections in the knee within the last 6 months and/or having received a physiotherapy program for the knee
* Having undergone lower extremity surgery
* Having a diagnosis of Grade 2 and above osteoarthritis according to Kellgren Lawrence
* Presence of Patellar Tendinopathy
* Presence of a history of trauma to the lower extremities
* The presence of neurological problems that will affect balance and walking
* Having any rheumatological disease
* The use of an assistive device for the ambulance