Comparison of the Frontal Plane Projection Angle and the Dynamic Valgus Index to Identify Movement Dysfunction in Females with Patellofemoral Pain.
Lori A Bolgla, Haley N Gibson, Daniel C Hannah and 1 others
PMID 37425107WHAT IT FOUND
Both the frontal plane projection angle and the dynamic valgus index identified females with patellofemoral pain during a single-leg squat.
The dynamic valgus index was not significantly better at discriminating between groups, but it had a higher positive likelihood ratio.
Key findings
01Females with patellofemoral pain had significantly higher knee frontal plane projection angles and dynamic valgus indices during a single-leg squat than controls.
02The dynamic valgus index did not significantly outperform the knee frontal plane projection angle in discriminating between females with and without patellofemoral pain.
03The dynamic valgus index had a higher positive likelihood ratio than the knee frontal plane projection angle for identifying females with patellofemoral pain.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only females participated, so results cannot be extrapolated to males. Movement was assessed only during a single-leg squat; patients might show different kinematics during other tasks like stair climbing. Patellofemoral pain is multifactorial, and not all individuals with the condition exhibit altered dynamic Q-angle. The study did not compare the dynamic valgus index to other sources of anterior knee pain, such as patellar tendinopathy.
Declared interests
The authors report no conflicts of interest. Research was supported by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes Health under Award Number R15AG063105.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the dynamic valgus index is a superior diagnostic tool based solely on its higher positive likelihood ratio. The overall discriminatory ability between the two tests was not significantly different, and neither measure should be used in isolation to diagnose patellofemoral pain without considering other sources of anterior knee pain.