Strength or Power Training for Patellofemoral Pain

NCT05403944 | Active Not Recruiting

• 2 other identifiers: HR22-0038OR210126
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 88
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 3

Brief Summary

The objective of this study is to compare a novel 6-week strength training rehabilitation incorporating power exercises (STRIPE) program to a standard of care (SOC) program on short-term and long-term pain, subjective function, patellofemoral pain recurrence rates, and secondary outcomes (hip abduction and extension rate of torque development and single-leg squat kinematics). We hypothesize that participants with patellofemoral pain who complete the STRIPE program will have 1) decreased pain, 2) improved subjective function, 3) reduced patellofemoral pain recurrence rates, 4a) improved hip abduction/extension rate of torque development, and 4b) decreased hip adduction and pelvic drop during a single leg squat compared to participants who complete a SOC rehabilitation program.

Conditions

Patellofemoral Pain

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (6)

• Change in knee pain.

  Data are presented as knee pain, assessed on the visual analog scale in centimeters, resulting in a score of 0-10, with 0 representing no pain and 10 being worst pain imaginable. Group means and standard deviations will be reported.

  Immediately after the intervention and then 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-intervention.

• Change in self-reported knee function.

  Data are presented as self-reported knee function, assessed by the anterior knee pain scale. The scale ranged between 0-100, with 0 indicating complete disability and 100 indicating no disability. Group means and standard deviations will be reported.

  Immediately after the intervention and then 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-intervention.

• Patellofemoral pain recurrence

  The number of patients who report symptoms of patellofemoral pain

  6 months post intervention, 12-months post intervention, 18-months post intervention, and 24-months post intervention

• Change in hip rate of torque development

  Hip abduction and extension rate of torque development will be assessed with a handheld dynamometer. Data are reported as linear, with higher scores representing a faster ability to develop hip muscle force. Group means and standard deviations will be reported.

  Immediately after the intervention.

• Change in hip adduction during a single leg squat

  Data are presented as a degree, with a higher number representing a higher amount of hip adduction. Group means and standard deviations will be reported.

  Immediately after the intervention and then 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-intervention.

• Change in pelvic drop during a single leg squat

  Data are presented as a degree, with a higher number representing a higher amount of pelvic drop. Group means and standard deviations will be reported.

  Immediately after the intervention and then 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-intervention.

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Change in psychological factors

  Immediately after the intervention and then 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-intervention.

• Change in cognitive factors

  Immediately after the intervention and then 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-intervention.

• Change in coping strategy

  Immediately after the intervention and then 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-intervention.

• Change in physical activity

  Immediately after the intervention and then 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-intervention.

• Change in self-reported knee function

  Immediately after the intervention and then 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-intervention.

Study Arms (2)

Standard of Care (SOC)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

The SOC rehabilitation group will complete three strength sessions a week. All participants will be provided an educational pamphlet and exercises will be divided into four components - hip abductors, hip extensors, core, and quadriceps muscles. The load magnitude for exercises will be between 60-70% of their 1 repetition max (1RM), with 3 sets of 12 repetitions and a 2-3-minute rest between sets. Time under tension will be prescribed as slow to moderate, with a 2-second concentric phase and 2-second eccentric phase for each exercise. Hip abductor, hip extensor, and core exercises will be initiated during week 1 and continued for the 6-week intervention, while quadriceps focused exercises will be introduced in weeks 3-6.

Behavioral: Standard of Care Rehabilitation (SOC)

Strength Training Rehabilitation Incorporating Power Exercises (STRIPE)

EXPERIMENTAL

Those in the STRIPE group will complete two power and one strength training sessions a week. All participants will be provided an educational pamphlet and exercises will be divided into four components - hip abductors, hip extensors, core, and quadriceps muscles. The load magnitude will be greater than 60% of the 1RM, with the goal of continually loading against heavy resistance. Participants will complete 4 sets of 6 repetitions, with 3-5 minutes of rest between sets. Time under tension will be prescribed as \<1 second for the concentric phase and 1 second for the eccentric phase of the exercise. The strength training sessions will adhere to same parameters as the SOC. Hip abductor, hip extensor, and core exercises will be initiated during week 1 and continued for the 6-week intervention, while quadriceps focused exercises will be introduced in weeks 3-6.

Behavioral: Strength Training Rehabilitation Incorporating Power Exercises (STRIPE)

Interventions

Standard of Care Rehabilitation (SOC) BEHAVIORAL

6 weeks of standard of care rehabilitation will be given designed to target the core, hip, and quadriceps muscles. Each participant will be expected to complete 3 supervised telehealth sessions per week.

Standard of Care (SOC)

Strength Training Rehabilitation Incorporating Power Exercises (STRIPE) BEHAVIORAL

6 weeks of STRIPE rehabilitation will be given designed to target the core, hip, and quadriceps muscles. Each participant will be expected to complete 3 supervised telehealth sessions per week.

Strength Training Rehabilitation Incorporating Power Exercises (STRIPE)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 40 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Participants to be between the ages of 18-40 years old.
• Insidious onset of symptoms greater than 3 months.
• Worst pain in the previous month of 3/10 with two of the following tasks: prolonged sitting, jumping, squatting, kneeling, running, and stair ambulation.

You may not qualify if:

• Other forms of anterior knee pain (Osgood-Schlatter, tendon pain, bursitis, etc.).
• History of lower extremity surgery.
• History of patella subluxation, meniscal injury or ligamentous instability.
• History of referred pain from the lumbar spine.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Connecticut: lead
• University of Central Florida: collaborator
• University of Toledo: collaborator

Study Sites (3)

University of Connecticut

Storrs, Connecticut, 06269, United States

Location

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida, 32816, United States

Location

University of Toledo

Toledo, Ohio, 43606, United States

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Glaviano NR, Mangum LC, Bazett-Jones DM, DiStefano LJ, Toland MD, Boling M. Strength Training Rehabilitation Incorporating Power Exercises (STRIPE) for individuals with patellofemoral pain: a randomised controlled trial protocol. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2023 Jan 17;9(1):e001482. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2022-001482. eCollection 2023.

  PMID: 36684710 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Joint Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases

Study Officials

• Neal Glaviano, PhD

  University of Connecticut

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Responsible Party

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 31, 2022
• First Posted: June 3, 2022
• Study Start: October 13, 2022
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 15, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2027
• Last Updated: April 17, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (3)