Women with patellofemoral pain and knee crepitus have reduced knee flexion angle during stair ascent

Marina Cabral Waiteman; Danilo de Oliveira Silva; Fábio M Azevedo; Marcella F Pazzinatto; Ronaldo V Briani; David M Bazett-Jones

doi:10.1016/j.ptsp.2020.12.013

Women with patellofemoral pain and knee crepitus have reduced knee flexion angle during stair ascent

Phys Ther Sport. 2021 Mar:48:60-66. doi: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2020.12.013. Epub 2020 Dec 17.

Authors

Marina Cabral Waiteman¹, Danilo de Oliveira Silva², Fábio M Azevedo³, Marcella F Pazzinatto⁴, Ronaldo V Briani⁵, David M Bazett-Jones⁶

Affiliations

¹ Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Science and Technology, Physical Therapy Department, Presidente Prudente, Brazil; University of Toledo, School of Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA. Electronic address: mariwaiteman@hotmail.com.
² Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Science and Technology, Physical Therapy Department, Presidente Prudente, Brazil; La Trobe Sports and Exercise Medicine Research Centre (LASEM), School of Allied Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: danilo110190@hotmail.com.
³ Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Science and Technology, Physical Therapy Department, Presidente Prudente, Brazil. Electronic address: fabiomicolis@gmail.com.
⁴ Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Science and Technology, Physical Therapy Department, Presidente Prudente, Brazil; La Trobe Sports and Exercise Medicine Research Centre (LASEM), School of Allied Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: ferraz_mar@hotmail.com.
⁵ Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Science and Technology, Physical Therapy Department, Presidente Prudente, Brazil; La Trobe Sports and Exercise Medicine Research Centre (LASEM), School of Allied Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: ronaldobriani@hotmail.com.
⁶ University of Toledo, School of Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA. Electronic address: david.bazettjones@utoledo.edu.

PMID: 33373904
DOI: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2020.12.013

Abstract

Objectives: To compare trunk and knee biomechanics of women with and without patellofemoral pain (PFP) and knee crepitus during stair ascent.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: Laboratory-based study.

Participants: 29 women with PFP and knee crepitus (PFP_Crepitus); 28 women with PFP and no knee crepitus (PFP_NOCrepitus); 17 pain-free women with knee crepitus (Pain-free_Crepitus); and 29 pain-free women without knee crepitus (Pain-free_NOCrepitus).

Main outcome measures: Peak trunk flexion, peak knee flexion, mean knee angular velocity, knee extensor moment at peak knee flexion, peak and impulse of the knee extensor moment.

Results: PFP_Crepitus group performed the stair ascent task with reduced peak knee flexion compared to Pain-free_Crepitus (p = 0.04; Effect size = -0.85) and Pain-free_NOCrepitus (p = 0.03; Effect size = -0.75). No significant differences among groups were found for peak trunk flexion (p = 0.979), knee angular velocity (p = 0.420), knee extensor moment at peak knee flexion (p = 0.933), peak (p = 0.290) and impulse (p = 0.122) of the knee extensor moment.

Conclusion: Women with concomitant PFP and knee crepitus demonstrated reduced knee flexion during stair ascent, but no significant differences for trunk flexion and knee extensor moment variables were found.

Keywords: Anterior knee pain; Biomechanics; Trunk.

MeSH terms

Adult
Biomechanical Phenomena
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Humans
Knee Joint / physiopathology*
Patellofemoral Joint / physiopathology
Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome / physiopathology*
Range of Motion, Articular
Stair Climbing*
Torso / physiopathology*
Young Adult