The electromyography of knee muscles in people with patellofemoral pain syndrome: systematic review

Document Type : Review Article

Authors

1 Students` Research Office, MSc Student in Physiotherapy, School of Rehabilitation Scienses, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

2 Assistant Professor in Physiotherapy. Department of Physiotherapy School of Rehabilitation Scienses, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

3 Professor in Physiotherapy. Department of Physiotherapy, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

4 PhD in Biostatistics, Assosiated Professor, School of Rehabilitation Scienses, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Background and Aim: Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) is known as one of the most frequent knee diseases in athletic and non athletic populations and the most frequent causes of anterior or retropatellar knee pain. Despite the prevalence of PFPS, its etiology is not clearly known and has been reported to be multifactorial. Managing patients with PFPS is often challenging, in part because of a lack of consensus regarding its etiology and treatment. Electromyography (EMG) is a well-known method to study the etiology of PFPS. The aim of the present study was a systematic review of studies conducting electromyography of knee muscles in people with and without PFPS.
Materials and Methods: Databases of PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar were searched for studies published in English between 2000 and 2014. The terms: PFPS, EMG, muscle imbalance, motor control, vastii muscles, and knee muscles as well as the combination of these terms were used.
Results: Among almost 35 relevant studies, 9 studies were selected. Based on the muscles, the studies were divided into two groups: 1) The studies that assessed vastii muscles, and 2) The studies that compared vastii and hamstring muscles.
Conclusion: Studies had used diverse EMG signal processing and testing protocols. The findings tended to support the notion that alteration in the electrical signal of the knee muscles is founded in individuals with PFPS, but the pattern of this alteration is still a matter of question. Due to the varietry of studies and their results, it can be concluded that the evidence, although existant, is not convincing yet.

Keywords

References

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The Scientific Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine
Volume 4, Issue 4 - Serial Number 4
November and December 2015
Pages 166-172

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History

  • Receive Date: 08 March 2015
  • Revise Date: 20 June 2015
  • Accept Date: 20 July 2015
  • First Publish Date: 22 December 2015

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