Jenny McConnell
This article is based on a paper given at the MTAA IVth National Conference held in Brisbane in May, 1985.
Patellofemoral pain syndrome can be a difficult condition to manage effectively. The success rate of most treatment regimes has been poor and in the long term the condition frequently recurs.
The author has developed a treatment programme which has a ninety-six per cent success rate. Long term follow up of patients, after twelve months demonstrated that all patients reviewed have remained pain free.
The programme involves two major components: a thorough understanding of the mechanics of the patellofemoral joint so that an adequate assessment of the patient’s lower limb can be made, and context specific training of certain muscles which contribute to patellar alignment. This training must be relatively pain free so that muscle control can be enhanced.
Patellofemoral pain is a common, yet poorly managed condition presenting to physiotherapists and other practitioners. The incidence in the general population is reported to be as high as one in four with this proportion increasing in the athletic population (Levine 1979, Outerbridge 1964). The condition, which generally has an insidious onset, is characterized by a diffuse ache in the vicinity of the patella (Levine 1979, Malek and Magine 1981, Outerbridge 1964). It is often given the diagnosis of chondromalacia patellae, but this diagnosis is only appropriate if softening and fissuring of the undersurface of the patella has been visualized either directly during surgery or arthroscopy or indirectly by means of an arthrogram (Devereaux and Lachmann 1984, Ficat and Hungerford 1977). In fact, many patients with severe pain and functional disability do not have any pathological findings (Andrish 1985). Their pain, which is often exacerbated by sporting activities, stair climbing and prolonged sitting with flexed knees (‘movie goers knee’) can be extremely difficult to treat (Levine 1979, Micheli and Stanitski 1981). Thus results of management, whether it be conservative or surgical, are equivocal and much confusion abounds for the practitioner as to the most expedient method/methods of diminishing the patient’s symptoms so that sporting and other recreational pursuits can be resumed as quickly as possible.
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