The Role of Quadriceps Contraction in Patellar Repositioning - a Computed Tomography Study

National Taiwan University

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Treatments: Procedure: Computed Tomography

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00760136

9461712133

Details and patient eligibility

About

Background Previous studies have a great discrepancy concerning the effects of quadriceps contraction on patellar lateral displacement and tilt in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome. This discrepancy may be caused by lack of information regarding to classifications of patellofemoral alignment under quadriceps relaxed. We hypothesized quadriceps contraction has different effects on each type of patellofemoral malalignment.

Methods The investigators expect to recruit 150 subjects with patellofemoral pain syndrome to participate in this study. All patients underwent computed tomography imaging of symptomatic knees, with and without quadriceps muscle contraction in 0°, 15° and 30° of knee flexion. Patellar lateral condyle index and patellar tilt angles of Sasaki and modified Fulkerson were measured to investigate the effect of quadriceps contraction on patellar repositioning.

Full description

Background Previous studies have a great discrepancy concerning the effects of quadriceps contraction on patellar lateral displacement and tilt in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome. This discrepancy may be caused by lack of information regarding to classifications of patellofemoral alignment under quadriceps relaxed. We hypothesized quadriceps contraction has different effects on each type of patellofemoral malalignment.

We expect to recruit 150 subjects with patellofemoral pain syndrome to participate in this study. All patients underwent computed tomography imaging of symptomatic knees, with and without quadriceps muscle contraction in 0°, 15° and 30° of knee flexion. Patellar lateral condyle index and patellar tilt angles of Sasaki and modified Fulkerson were measured to investigate the effect of quadriceps contraction on patellar repositioning.

Enrollment: 150 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 20 to 50 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• The inclusion criteria for patients with PFPS were suffering from pain with at least two kinds of knee-flexing activities such as:

  • sitting
  • getting up from sitting
  • walking upstairs or downstairs
  • squatting
  • getting up from squatting
  • running
  • kneeling
  • jumping

Exclusion criteria

The exclusion criteria included:

• The presence of any major medical disease
• Rheumatoid arthritis, gouty arthritis
• Recent history (within 3 months) of knee surgery
• Image findings of osteoarthritis
• Any deformity of lower limbs