Clinical trial NCT01290705: Dosage-dependence of Graded Exercise Therapy in Patients With Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome.
Official title: Dosage-dependence of Graded Exercise Therapy in Patients With Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome. A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
Keywords: Knee
Anterior Cruciate Ligament
Pain
Patella
Exercise Therapy
Lead sponsor: Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2011-02-07
Enrollment: 40
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 16
Maximum age (years): 50
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: With this study two different therapeutic exercise regimens will be compared in patients with anterior knee pain (patellofemoral pain syndrome, PFPS).

Detailed description: Exercise therapy is widely used in the conservative treatment of patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), but there is still no consensus on recommending any specific rehabilitation program.

This study evaluates two different therapeutic exercise regimens in patients with PFPS and their effect on pain at rest and function.

Supervised exercise therapy will be applied in both groups three times a week over a 3-month period with individually tailored and graded exercise programs, differing between groups in terms of number of exercises, number of repetitions and sets, and time spent on performing aerobic exercises.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria: Presence of at least 3 symptoms of the following:

Pain when

* Walking stairs
* Squatting
* Running
* Cycling
* Sitting with knees flexed for a prolonged period of time
* Grinding of the patella
* Other positive physical tests (Clarke's test, patellar crepitus, tenderness upon palpation of the posterior surface of the patella, patellar facets or surrounding structures)

Exclusion Criteria:

* Knee osteoarthrosis/ arthritis
* previous knee injury or knee operations
* patellar tendinopathy
* Osgood- Schlatter's disease
* Other defined pathological conditions of the knee

Primary outcomes:
measure: Pain measured by a Visual analogue scale (VAS).
timeFrame: Pre-test, post-test (after completed intervention at 3 months) and one year follow-up.
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Function measured by a Step-down test and by a modified Functional Index Questionnaire (FIQ).
timeFrame: Pre-test, post-test (at 3 months after completed intervention) and at one year follow-up.
Other outcomes:
Locations:
Study officials:
affiliation: Norwegian University of Science and Technology
name: Jan Harry Størksen
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
References:
citation: Osteras B, Osteras H, Torstensen TA. Long-term effects of medical exercise therapy in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome: results from a single-blinded randomized controlled trial with 12 months follow-up. Physiotherapy. 2013 Dec;99(4):311-6. doi: 10.1016/j.physio.2013.04.001. Epub 2013 Jun 10.
citation: Osteras B, Osteras H, Torstensen TA, Vasseljen O. Dose-response effects of medical exercise therapy in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome: a randomised controlled clinical trial. Physiotherapy. 2013 Jun;99(2):126-31. doi: 10.1016/j.physio.2012.05.009. Epub 2012 Jul 24.