Hip Posterolateral Musculature Strengthening in Sedentary Women With Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial With 1-Year Follow-up

Study Design Randomized controlled trial. Objectives To determine if adding hip-strengthening exercises to a conventional knee exercise program produces better long-term outcomes than conventional knee exercises alone in women with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). Background Recent studies have shown that a hip-strengthening program reduces pain and improves function in individuals with PFPS. However, there are no clinical trials evaluating long-term outcomes of this type of program compared to conventional knee-strengthening and -stretching exercises. Methods Fifty-four sedentary women between 20 and 40 years of age, with a diagnosis of unilateral PFPS, were randomly assigned knee exercise (KE) or knee and hip exercise (KHE). The women in the KE group (n = 26; mean age, 23 years) performed a 4-week conventional knee-stretching and -strengthening program. The women in the KHE group (n = 28; mean age, 22 years) performed the same exercises as those in the KE group, as well as strengthening exercises fo...