Proprioceptive acuity may not be reduced in patients with patellofemoral pain
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Patients with patellofemoral pain may not experience reduced proprioceptive acuity compared with matched healthy individuals, according to published results.
Researchers evaluated proprioception with the joint position sense test and functionality with the single-leg triple-hop test and the Y-balance test among 48 patients with patellofemoral pain and 48 healthy individuals matched by age, sex, weight, height and limb dominance. Researchers compared the two groups using the independent student’s T-test and determined proprioceptive acuity and physical performance correlations by Pearson correlation coefficient.
Results showed no statistical difference for absolute and relative angular errors between patients with and those without patellofemoral pain. Researchers found patients with patellofemoral pain had lower relative reached distance on the anterior direction of the Y-balance test vs. healthy individuals. However, the groups had no differences for other functional measures, according to results. Researchers noted a mild correlation between absolute angular error at 60° and the anterior component of the Y-balance test, as well as a mild correlation between relative angular error at 60° and the posterolateral component of the Y-balance test.
“Accordingly, our results encourage clinicians and researchers to investigate the performance of the anterior component of the Y-balance test in patients with [patellofemoral pain],” the authors wrote.
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The primary clinically relevant finding of this study by Vanessa Knust Coelho and colleagues was that patients with patellofemoral pain were different than well-matched controls when performing a Y-balance test, which required squatting on one leg while reaching forward as far as possible with the other leg. This represents essentially a test of eccentric hip, knee and ankle control, as well as core strength and balance. As it is well-known that patients with patellofemoral pain have eccentric hip and knee deficits, it was not surprising that this test would prove to be a measurement of these deficits. Such a test may be helpful in simple measurement for clinicians during evaluation and treatment of such patients.
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