Rehabilitation With Patterned Electrical Neuromuscular Stimulation for Patients With Patellofemoral Pain
- Conditions
- Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
- Interventions
- Device: PENS
- Registration Number
- NCT02441712
- Lead Sponsor
- University of Virginia
- Brief Summary
This is a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) regarding the conservative treatment of patellofemoral pain (PFP) with an impairment based rehabilitation program. Those with PFP can have a variety of impairments, such as knee and hip muscle weakness, poor movement patterns, weak core activation and muscle tightness. Several recent RCT trials have looked at treating single impairments, but to date no RCT have address individualized patient impairments during a rehabilitation program. Abnormal muscle firing patterns have also been identified during functional tasks; such as jogging, stair climbing, and performing a single leg squat. Conflicting studies have produced changes to the quadriceps and hip muscle firing patterns with those with PFP. The abnormal activation patterns has been suggested to be why strengthening programs alone do not improve movement patterns during functional tasks for those with PFP. Patterned electrical neuromuscular stimulation (PENS) is a novel form of electrical stimulation that replicates proper firing patterns based off healthy electromyography patterns. The purpose of the study is to investigate the benefits of PENS with a impairment based rehabilitation program for the treatment of PFP. The rationale for this investigation is to assess the benefits of PENS with therapeutic exercise at improving altered firing patterns of the lower extremity muscles during functional tasks.
- Detailed Description
Not available
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 21
- Insidious onset of symptoms
- Presence of peri- or retro patellar knee pain during at least two of the following functional activities:
Stair ascent or descent, Running, Kneeling, Squatting, Prolonged sitting, Jumping
- Pain for more than 3 months
- Pain >3/10 on VAS
- 85 or less on the Anterior Knee Pain Scale
- Previous knee surgery
- Internal Derangement
- Ligamentous instability
- Other sources of anterior knee pain(patella tendonitis, osgood schlatter, knee plica, etc)
- Neurological Involvement
- Any biomedical device
- Muscular abnormalities
- Currently pregnant
- Hypersensitivity to electrical stimulation
- Active infection over the site of the electrode placement
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Motor PENS PENS Motor PENS will be a strong tri-phasic stimulation pattern to the hip, quadriceps, hamstring, and adductors for strength training (50Hz impulses for 200ms every 1500 ms). The stimulus will be administered for 15-minutes followed by the impairment rehabilitation program. Subsensory PENS PENS Subsensory PENS will be a sub sensory stimulus also administered by a tri-phasic stimulation pattern to the hip, quadriceps, hamstring, and adductors (50Hz impulses for 200ms every 1500ms). The stimulus will be administered for 15-minutes followed by the impairment rehabilitation program
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Changes in Pain Assessed by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) Pain recorded by the VAS will be collected for 4 weeks Current and Worse VAS
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Changes in Gluteus Medius Muscle Strength Up to 4 weeks Muscle strength of the gluteus medius will be measured by individuals performing a maximum contraction against a small device that will measure force output
Changes in Hip Adductor Muscle Strength Up to 4 weeks Muscle strength of the hip adductors will be measured by individuals performing a maximum contraction against a small device that will measure force output
Changes in Lower Extremity Electromyography during a lunge Up to 4 weeks EMG activity of six lower extremity muscles during a lunge
Changes in Lower Extremity Electromyography during walking Up to 4 weeks EMG activity of six lower extremity muscles during walking
Changes in Quadriceps Muscle Strength Up to 4 weeks Muscle strength of the quadriceps will be measured by individuals performing a maximum contraction against a small device that will measure force output
Changes in Hamstring Muscle Strength Up to 4 weeks Muscle strength of the hamstring will be measured by individuals performing a maximum contraction against a small device that will measure force output
Changes in Lower Extremity Electromyography during a step down task Up to 4 weeks EMG activity of six lower extremity muscles during a step down task
Changes in Lower Extremity Electromyography during a single leg squat Up to 4 weeks EMG activity of six lower extremity muscles during a single leg squat
Changes in Patient reported outcomes Up to 4 weeks 4 patient reported outcomes on pain and function before and after the intervention. These patient reported outcomes are the Anterior Knee Pain Scale, the Activities of Daily Living Scale, the Godin Leisure Scale, and the Fear Avoidance Belief Questionnaire.
Changes in lower extremity kinematics Up to 4 weeks Trunk, hip, knee and ankle movement during the single leg squat, stair ambulation, lunges, walking and jogging
Changes in core strength Up to 4 weeks Trunk endurance will be assessed by front and side plank tasks.
Changes in core activation Up to 4 weeks Core activation will be assessed by real time ultrasound to examine the size of the core muscles
Changes in Lower Extremity Electromyography during jogging Up to 4 weeks EMG activity of six lower extremity muscles during jogging
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
University of Virginia
🇺🇸Charlottesville, Virginia, United States