Riassunto dello studio

Forty-five patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome were randomized into three groups: experimental group 1 (n=15) received hip abductor and external rotator strengthening exercises with conventional physical therapy (CPT), experimental group 2 (n=15) received proprioceptive training with CPT, and the control group (n=15) received CPT alone. The primary outcome of interest was improvement in Kujala Anterior Knee Pain Scale (AKPS) scores. Outcomes were assessed pre- and post-intervention (4 weeks). Overall, the study found significant improvement in AKPS scores across all groups, with the greatest improvement observed in the group receiving hip abductor and external rotator strengthening exercises (EG 1), followed by the proprioceptive training group (EG 2) and the control group (CG). These findings suggest that adding hip muscle strengthening to CPT is the most effective approach for improving pain and function in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome.