Knee flexor strength, rate of torque development and flexibility in women and men with patellofemoral pain: Relationship with pain and the performance in the single leg bridge test.
OBJECTIVES
To investigate the relationship between: (1) knee flexor strength, rate of torque development (RTD), and flexibility with pain level; (2) knee flexor strength and RTD with the performance in the single leg bridge test (SLBT) in women and men with patellofemoral pain (PFP).


DESIGN
Cross-sectional.


SETTING
Laboratory-based study.


PARTICIPANTS
39 women and 36 men with PFP.


MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Knee flexor strength, RTD, and flexibility; performance in the SLBT, current, and worst pain level.


RESULTS
Moderate to strong significant negative relationships were identified between the current pain level with knee flexor strength (r = -0.57 to -0.34) and flexibility (r = -0.44 to -0.35); and between knee flexor strength and RTD with the performance in the SLBT (r = 0.34 to 0.57) in women and men with PFP. Knee flexor RTD was not related to any pain level and no significant relationships were identified between the worst pain level with knee flexor strength and flexibility in women and men with PFP.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results support the potential value of assessing knee flexor strength and flexibility in women and men with PFP. The SLBT may be a useful tool to assess knee flexor muscle capacity in individuals with PFP in a clinical setting.
['Ducatti|Matheus Henrique Maiolini|MHM|', 'Waiteman|Marina Cabral|MC|', 'Botta|Ana Flávia Balotari|AFB|', 'Lopes|Helder Dos Santos|HDS|', 'Glaviano|Neal Robert|NR|', 'Azevedo|Fábio Mícolis de|FM|', 'Briani|Ronaldo Valdir|RV|']
D000293:Adolescent D000328:Adult D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies D005080:Exercise Test D005260:Female D006801:Humans D007717:Knee D008297:Male D053580:Muscle Strength D018482:Muscle, Skeletal D046788:Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome D057566:Self Report D019415:Torque D055815:Young Adult
Assessment Anterior knee pain Clinical test Hamstring