Knee arthroscopy and exercise versus exercise only in relieving pain and disability in patients with chronic patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). A randomized controlled trial.

Completed

Conditions: Chronic (> 6 months before inclusion) patellofemoral pain syndrome.
Musculoskeletal Diseases
Patellofemoral pain syndrome

Registration Number: ISRCTN41800323

Lead Sponsor: Social Insurance Institution of Finland

Brief Summary: Not available

Detailed Description: Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: Completed

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 56

Inclusion Criteria

In the first phase, orthopaedists select consecutive female or male patients who are admitted to the hospital policlinic of either ORTON Orthopaedic Hospital, Helsinki or one of the orthopaedic policlinics of the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa and who amongst them fulfil the following inclusion criteria:
1. Subjects that are 18 to 40 years of age female or male and have a characteristic history and symptoms of PFPS for at least six months
2. They have patellofemoral pain during physical activities, such as jumping, running, squatting, and going up or down stairs; patellofemoral pain when the knee is kept in flexion for a prolonged period, with relief on extension; and possibly, patellar snapping, pseudo-locking, giving-way, stiffness, or periodic effusions in conjunction with physical activity. Subjects with patellar subluxation but not with a history of patellar dislocation, are included.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Subjects with disabling general illnesses, report knee ligamentous or meniscal injuries, previous knee surgery, physician diagnosed knee osteoarthritis or a history of patellar dislocation
2. Subjects who have been in physical therapy for PFPS within the previous 4 weeks
3. Subjects who are pregnant
4. Subjects who are competitive athletes and therefore may have pain syndrome related to extreme loading and perhaps not be willing to follow the treatment protocols
5. Subjects with antero-posterior or medio-lateral instability in manual instability measurement or with knee problems other than PFPS (such as jumper's knee or knee meniscal injury) based on clinical evaluation
6. Subjects with knee osteoarthritis, osteochondritis dissecans, loose bodies in the patellofemoral and tibiofemoral joints, or with knee problems other than PFPS are excluded based on the findings in the knee x-ray examination