Patellofemoral Syndrome Guidelines

Updated: Jan 09, 2023
  • Author: Noel F So, MD, FAAPMR; Chief Editor: Ryan O Stephenson, DO  more...
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Guidelines

Guidelines Summary

Consensus-based recommendations on exercise therapy and physical interventions in patellofemoral pain from the 2015 and 2017 International Patellofemoral Pain Research Retreats include the following [25] :

  • Exercise therapy reduces pain in the short-, medium-, and long-term and improves function and symptoms in the medium- and long-term
  • Compared with knee targeted exercise therapy, combined hip and knee targeted exercise treatment reduces pain and improves function, in the short-, medium-, and long-term
  • Combined interventions reduce pain in the short- and medium-term
  • Prefabricated foot orthoses reduce pain in the short-term

The consensus statements did not recommend that patellofemoral, knee, or lumbar mobilizations be employed in isolation or that electrophysical agents (such as ultrasound, phonophoresis, or laser therapy) be used. Moreover, the statements reported uncertainty with regard to the efficacy of patellar taping/bracing, acupuncture/dry needling, manual soft tissue techniques, blood flow restriction training, and gait retraining, in the treatment of patellofemoral pain. [25]