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Muscle Training With and Without Vascular Occlusion of Women With Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: A Random Clinical Trial

Effects of a Muscle Training Program With and Without Vascular Occlusion in Pain, Functionality, Postural Control and Muscular Recruitment of Women With Patellophemoral Pain Syndrome: A Random Clinical Trial

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04478422
Enrollment
24
Registered
2020-07-20
Start date
2021-02-01
Completion date
2023-09-30
Last updated
2023-12-12

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, Vascular Occlusion

Keywords

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, Partial Vascular Occlusion, Postural Balance, Electromyography, Physical Therapy.

Brief summary

Introduction: The treatment of Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) uses the strengthening of the knee and hip muscles. Studies propose the use of partial vascular occlusion (OVP) of the quadriceps muscle to increase muscle strength and endurance, without joint overload or discomfort to the patient. However, there is no consensus on the use in individuals with PFPS. Objective: To establish the effect of quadriceps muscle strengthening with OVP and low resistance to exercise on pain, functionality, postural control and muscle recruitment in women with patellofemoral dysfunction. Methods: Women with PFPS (n = 20) will respond to pain and functionality scales. The postural control and muscle recruitment of the quadriceps will also be evaluated in dynamic activities of single-legged squat and up / down stairs using a force platform and surface electromyography. After the initial assessment, the participants will be randomized into two groups: conventional quadriceps strengthening with greater resistance loads to exercise and quadriceps strengthening with OVP and low loads. And they will perform a six-week treatment protocol with exercises to strengthen the quadriceps. At the end of the intervention protocols, all of them will be reassessed immediately, after four and eight weeks. Expected Results: It is expected that the group submitted to exercises with OVP and lower load will present the same results of postural control and muscle recruitment compared to the conventional strengthening group. These results will indicate the possibility of using exercises and loads with less joint impairment.

Interventions

OTHERMuscle strengthening with vascular occlusion

The muscle strengthening group with partial vascular occlusion will perform the strengthening exercises: single leg squat on 25 ° inclined plane, eccentric + isometric + concentric quadriceps exercise and deep squat. The equipment for vascular occlusion will be positioned over the proximal portion of the lower limb to be treated, just below the gluteal fold and inguinal ligament (Tennent et al. 2017). The pressure must be maintained during all series of exercises (approximately 5 minutes) (Bryk et al. 2016; Ferraz et al. 2018; Giles et al. 2017). If necessary, the pressure can be adjusted at intervals and after the end of the exercise, an interval of 5 minutes is suggested for blood reperfusion.

OTHERConventional muscle strengthening

The conventional muscle strengthening group perform the same exercises as the intervention group: One-legged squat on a 25 ° inclined plane, eccentric + isometric + concentric quadriceps exercise and deep squat, however, without restriction on blood flow.

Sponsors

Christiane Macedo
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Investigator)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to 45 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

Insidious onset of symptoms unrelated to trauma, pain for at least three months; pain greater than three (3/10) in at least three of the functional activities (squatting for a long time, going up or down stairs, kneeling, running, remaining in a sitting position for a long time), maximum 86 points on the Anterior Knee Pain Scale (AKPS).

Exclusion criteria

Signs and symptoms of other coexisting knee pathologies (arthrosis, prostheses, meniscal and ligament injuries), pain in other joints of the lower limb; lumbar spine pain, neurological, rheumatological, vascular and metabolic diseases; pregnancy; history of lower limb surgery; corticosteroid injection in the knee applied in the last three months, physiotherapy for knee rehabilitation in the last six months.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in Pain in the knee by scale scorepre-intervention, immediately after, after four weeksThrough Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The score ranges from 0 to 10, the higher the score, the greater the pain.
Change in functional capacity by scale scorepre-intervention, immediately after, after four weeksUsing the Anterior Knee Pain Scale. The score ranges from 0 to 100, the higher the score, the better the functional capacity.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in Muscle activition by electromyography variablespre-intervention, immediately after, after four weeksMuscle activition by surface electromyography of the quadriceps will be evaluated during one-legged squat activity and up and down stairs.
Change in quadriceps muscle strengthpre-intervention, immediately after, after four weeksChange in quadriceps muscle strength by portable dynamometry
Change in Postural control by pressure center variablespre-intervention, immediately after, after four weeksEvaluation of postural control using a force platform will be evaluated during one-legged squat activity and up and down stairs.

Countries

Brazil

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026