Patellofemoral Pain, PFP
Conditions
Keywords
Telerehabilitation, Patellofemoral Pain
Brief summary
Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is a common musculoskeletal condition characterized by pain around or behind the patella during activities such as stair ambulation, squatting, running, jumping, and prolonged sitting. Exercise therapy combined with patient education is considered first-line treatment, and supervised rehabilitation is commonly used to improve adherence and clinical outcomes. Telerehabilitation may increase accessibility and reduce time and travel burden, but high-quality evidence remains limited regarding whether telerehabilitation provides outcomes that are not inferior to conventional face-to-face supervised rehabilitation in individuals with PFP. This study is a randomized, assessor-blinded, non-inferiority trial designed to compare telerehabilitation with face-to-face supervised rehabilitation in individuals with patellofemoral pain. The trial will evaluate whether telerehabilitation is not inferior to face-to-face supervised rehabilitation in improving pain and knee-related function, while also examining psychological outcomes, self-satisfaction, and adherence.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALTelerehabilitation
A 6-week remotely supervised rehabilitation program including education, progressive exercise therapy, and regular therapist-guided follow-up delivered through digital communication platforms.
BEHAVIORALFace-to-Face Rehabilitation
A 6-week in-person supervised rehabilitation program including education, progressive exercise therapy, and regular therapist-guided follow-up.
Sponsors
Beijing Sport University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 45 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Inclusion Criteria * Aged 18 to 45 years * Clinical diagnosis of patellofemoral pain * History of anterior or retropatellar knee pain for at least 3 months * Pain provoked by at least two of the following activities: stair ambulation, squatting, running, jumping, or prolonged sitting * Baseline knee pain intensity of at least 3/10 on the Numerical Rating Pain Scale * Willing and able to participate in the rehabilitation program and follow-up assessments * Able to provide written informed consent *
Exclusion criteria
* Previous knee surgery * History of patellar dislocation or instability * Evidence of ligament injury, meniscal injury requiring separate management, moderate to severe knee osteoarthritis, or other major structural knee pathology * Concurrent hip, ankle, lumbar spine, or other musculoskeletal disorders substantially affecting lower limb function * Neurological disorders affecting movement or balance * Severe cardiopulmonary or systemic disease contraindicating exercise * Received structured lower limb rehabilitation within the previous 3 months * Pregnancy * Any other condition judged by the investigators to make participation unsuitable
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Anterior Knee Pain Scale | Baseline; 6 weeks; 18 weeks |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Numerical Rating Pain Scale | Baseline; 6 weeks; 18 weeks | — |
| The Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score | Baseline; 6 weeks; 18 weeks | — |
| Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia | Baseline; 6 weeks; 18 weeks | — |
| Pain Catastrophizing Scale | Baseline; 6 weeks; 18 weeks | — |
| EQ-5D-5L | Baseline; 6 weeks; 18 weeks | — |
| Muscle strength | Baseline; 6 weeks | Muscle strength was evaluated by maximal contractions using an isokinetic test system. During the test, they were asked to perform five constant flexion and extension motions at their maximum effort using a concentric-concentric contractions model. Knee muscle strength was recorded by peak torque (Nm). |
Contacts
CONTACTHao-Nan Wang
Outcome results
None listed