Riassunto dello studio

Forty women with patellofemoral pain were randomized to receive a combined forefoot strike gait retraining plus foot–knee strengthening program (experimental group, n=20) or no therapeutic intervention (control group, n=20). The primary outcome of interest was self-reported knee pain (VAS). Secondary outcomes of interest included rear-foot eversion, dynamic knee valgus, pelvic drop during single-leg squat, and isometric strength of the hip extensors, hip abductors, and knee extensors. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and after 8 weeks. Overall, the results of the study revealed that the intervention group had large and clinically important reductions in pain, rear-foot eversion, and dynamic knee valgus, along with substantial gains in hip and knee strength, whereas the control group generally worsened or showed minimal change. These findings suggest that integrating forefoot strike gait retraining with distal and proximal strengthening can meaningfully improve lower limb alignment and symptoms in women with patellofemoral pain over the short term.