Patellofemoral pain: let the physical exam define treatment.

The complex causes of patellofemoral disorders are most effectively identified through a systematic evaluation of a patient's lower-extremity alignment, patellar mobility, muscle flexibility, strength, and coordination as well as an assessment of soft-tissue and articular pain. By combining information from such an exam with a careful history and appropriate radiographic studies, the physician can make a specific diagnosis. This sets the stage for an optimal rehabilitation prescription, which usually will involve some combination of muscle flexibility and strength training, taping, orthoses, analgesics, and therapy with heat and ice.