Somatosensory and Biomechanical Abnormalities in Females With Patellofemoral Pain

Brian Noehren; Logan Shuping; Aron Jones; David A Akers; Heather M Bush; Kathleen A Sluka

doi:10.1097/AJP.0000000000000331

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Somatosensory and Biomechanical Abnormalities in Females With Patellofemoral Pain

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Somatosensory and Biomechanical Abnormalities in Females With Patellofemoral Pain

Brian Noehren, Logan Shuping, Aron Jones, David A Akers, Heather M Bush and Kathleen A Sluka

The Clinical journal of pain, Vol.32(10), pp.915-919

10/2016

DOI: 10.1097/AJP.0000000000000331

PMCID: PMC4882282

PMID: 26626291

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Abstract

Chronic patellofemoral pain (PFP) is a common orthopedic condition for which little is understood of the alterations in pain processing such as hyperalgesia, hypoesthesia, and the relationship of altered knee mechanics to hyperalgesia. We assessed pain, pressure pain thresholds (PPT), detection to light touch, and the relationship of pain and PPTs to knee abduction angle during a stair step down task between females with and without PFP. Twenty females diagnosed with PFP and 20 age-matched pain-free females participated in this study. Individuals underwent an instrumented assessment of knee mechanics during a stair step down task, PPT and detection of light touch over the center of the patella and lateral retinaculum, and PPT outside painful area over the right elbow. The PFP group had significantly lower PPT values at the patella (P=0.02), lateral retinaculum (P=0.001), and at the elbow (P=0.03). There was an elevated threshold to detect light touch over the center of their patella (P=0.04). A significant relationship between both pain (r=-0.49, P=0.03) and PPT values (r=0.65, P=0.004) to the frontal plane knee angle existed in the PFP group which was not present in the control group (r=-0.17, P=0.49) or in the elbow (r=-0.009, P=0.972). These results suggest that PFP is characterized by an increase in both localized and centralized pain sensitivity that is related to movement mechanics. Thus, PFP has both biomechanical, nociceptive components as well as inferred aspects of altered central sensitization.

Forearm - physiopathology

Patella - physiopathology

Humans

Knee Joint - physiopathology

Middle Aged

Arthralgia - physiopathology

Femur - physiopathology

Touch

Hyperalgesia - physiopathology

Young Adult

Biomechanical Phenomena

Movement - physiology

Adolescent

Adult

Female

Pain Threshold

Cohort Studies

Details

Title: Subtitle: Somatosensory and Biomechanical Abnormalities in Females With Patellofemoral Pain
Creators: Brian Noehren - Division of Physical Therapy, College of Health Sciences, University of Kentucky Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Lexington, KY Graduate Program in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, University of Iowa, College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA
Logan Shuping
Aron Jones
David A Akers
Heather M Bush
Kathleen A Sluka
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: The Clinical journal of pain, Vol.32(10), pp.915-919
DOI: 10.1097/AJP.0000000000000331
PMID: 26626291
PMCID: PMC4882282
NLM abbreviation: Clin J Pain
ISSN: 0749-8047
eISSN: 1536-5409
Publisher: United States
Grant note: UL1 TR001998 / NCATS NIH HHS K23 AR062069 / NIAMS NIH HHS UL1 TR000117 / NCATS NIH HHS
Language: English
Date published: 10/2016
Academic Unit: Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Nursing; Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science; Neuroscience and Pharmacology
Record Identifier: 9984040235802771

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