Muscle Training With and Without Vascular Occlusion of Women With Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: A Random Clinical Trial

Christiane Macedo

Status: Completed

Conditions: Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome; Vascular Occlusion

Treatments: Other: Conventional muscle strengthening; Other: Muscle strengthening with vascular occlusion

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04478422

Vascular Occlusion in PFPS

Details and patient eligibility

About

Introduction: The treatment of Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) uses the strengthening of the knee and hip muscles. Studies propose the use of partial vascular occlusion (OVP) of the quadriceps muscle to increase muscle strength and endurance, without joint overload or discomfort to the patient. However, there is no consensus on the use in individuals with PFPS. Objective: To establish the effect of quadriceps muscle strengthening with OVP and low resistance to exercise on pain, functionality, postural control and muscle recruitment in women with patellofemoral dysfunction. Methods: Women with PFPS (n = 20) will respond to pain and functionality scales. The postural control and muscle recruitment of the quadriceps will also be evaluated in dynamic activities of single-legged squat and up / down stairs using a force platform and surface electromyography. After the initial assessment, the participants will be randomized into two groups: conventional quadriceps strengthening with greater resistance loads to exercise and quadriceps strengthening with OVP and low loads. And they will perform a six-week treatment protocol with exercises to strengthen the quadriceps. At the end of the intervention protocols, all of them will be reassessed immediately, after four and eight weeks. Expected Results: It is expected that the group submitted to exercises with OVP and lower load will present the same results of postural control and muscle recruitment compared to the conventional strengthening group. These results will indicate the possibility of using exercises and loads with less joint impairment.

Enrollment: 24 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 18 to 45 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Insidious onset of symptoms unrelated to trauma, pain for at least three months; pain greater than three (3/10) in at least three of the functional activities (squatting for a long time, going up or down stairs, kneeling, running, remaining in a sitting position for a long time), maximum 86 points on the Anterior Knee Pain Scale (AKPS).

Exclusion criteria

Signs and symptoms of other coexisting knee pathologies (arthrosis, prostheses, meniscal and ligament injuries), pain in other joints of the lower limb; lumbar spine pain, neurological, rheumatological, vascular and metabolic diseases; pregnancy; history of lower limb surgery; corticosteroid injection in the knee applied in the last three months, physiotherapy for knee rehabilitation in the last six months.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

---

24 participants in 2 patient groups

Muscle strengthening with vascular occlusion

Experimental group

Description:

Quadriceps strengthening exercises will be performed in isometric, concentric and eccentric phases, with partial occlusion to blood flow. The occlusion equipment will be positioned over the proximal portion of the lower limb to be treated, just below the gluteal fold and inguinal ligament (Tennent et al. 2017). The pressure must be maintained during all series of exercises (approximately 5 minutes) (Bryk et al. 2016; Ferraz et al. 2018; Giles et al. 2017).

Treatment:

Other: Muscle strengthening with vascular occlusion

Conventional muscle strengthening

Active Comparator group

Description:

Conventional quadriceps strengthening exercises will be performed in isometric, concentric and eccentric phases, without occlusion to blood flow.

Treatment:

Other: Conventional muscle strengthening