Effect of hip abductor and external rotator muscles strengthening on pain, hip muscles strength, and lower extremity kinematics in patients with patellofemoral pain

Document Type : Original article

Authors

1 PhD Candidate of Sport Sciences, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

2 PhD,Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

3 PhD, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

Background and Aims: The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of hip abductor and external rotator muscles strengthening exercises on pain, muscle strength, and lower extremity kinematics in people with patellofemoral pain (PFP).
Materials and Methods: A total of 35 patients with PFP were randomly assigned into exercise and control groups. The exercise group received abductor and external rotator strengthening exercises with thera-band 3 times per week for 12 weeks. The control groups did not receive any training intervention. Then, the two groups were compared to study the effect of independent variable on the experimental group. Pain (VAS), hip muscle strength (handheld dynamometer), and lower extremity kinematics (video analysis) were assessed at baseline and post-intervention. Participants included patients with bilateral or unilateral patellofemoral pain; if pain was bilateral, exercises were performed bilaterally on both lower extremities but measurements were performed only on the lower extremity which was more painful; whenever the pain in both knees was equal, data were collected only from the superior lower extremity.
Repeated measures ANOVA was applied using SPSS to assess the effects of the exercises on measured variables.
Results: Pain decreased significantly in exercise group from baseline to post-intervention (P=0.000). Hip abductor muscles strength (women, P=0.000 and men, P=0.003) and external rotator muscles strength  (women, P=0.024 and men, P=0.000) increased significantly in exercise group after 12 weeks of strengthening program. There was a significant improvement in dynamic knee valgus during single-legged squat (women, P=0.018 and men, P=0.017) and contralateral pelvic drop during stair descending just in women (P=0.04) in exercise group. There were no significant differences between men and women in the effect of exercises on the variables studied (P>0.05).
Conclusion: According to the results, hip strengthening can decrease pain, increase muscle strength, and change kinematics in the frontal plane movement patterns of the lower extremity, which can possibly be the mechanism of effect of this intervention on PFP symptoms. According to findings of the present study, it might be concluded that gender-specific rehabilitation program is not needed in patients with PFP.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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The Scientific Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine
Volume 9, Issue 2
July 2020
Pages 79-92

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History

  • Receive Date: 27 August 2019
  • Revise Date: 03 September 2019
  • Accept Date: 06 September 2019
  • First Publish Date: 21 June 2020

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