Fear of movement is associated with biomechanical variables in women with patellofemoral pain.

BACKGROUND

Understanding whether biopsychosocial and biomechanical factors are related in patellofemoral pain (PFP) could help to clarify the underlying mechanisms of this dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether fear of movement is associated with hip and knee muscle strength; trunk and lower limb frontal kinematics; plantar pressure, and stabilometric measures in women with and without PFP.

METHOD: PFP (n = 18) and asymptomatic (n = 18) women answered the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia; underwent strength tests of knee extensors, hip abductors, and hip extensors; and performed the single-leg squat test to determine trunk, pelvis, and knee frontal angles, and baropodometric measurements. Correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were performed (p < 0.05).

RESULTS

In the PFP group, fear of movement correlated with knee extensor (r = -0.529, p = 0.024) and hip abductor torque (r = -0.534, p = 0.023); ipsilateral trunk inclination (r = 0.505, p = 0.033); amplitude (r = 0.545, p = 0.019), velocity (r = 0.713, p = 0.001), and standard deviation of anteroposterior oscillation (r = 0.714, p = 0.001), standard deviation of mediolateral oscillation (r = 0.579, p = 0.012), and total displacement of the center of pressure (CoP) (r = 0.637, p = 0.004). It was predicted (p = 0.000, R2 = 0.82) by ipsilateral trunk inclination (B = 0.40, p = 0.040); amplitude of anteroposterior oscillation (B = -0.13, p = 0.013), and standard deviation of anteroposterior (B = 0.78, p = 0.001) and mediolateral CoP oscillation (B = 1.33, p = 0.001). In the control group, there was no significant correlation.

CONCLUSION

Fear of movement is related to decreased knee extensor and hip abductor strength, increased ipsilateral trunk inclination, and postural instability in women with PFP.