Effect of squatting velocity on hip muscle latency in women with patellofemoral pain syndrome.
Ignacio Orozco-Chavez, Guillermo Mendez-Rebolledo
PMID 29581655WHAT IT FOUND
In young women with patellofemoral knee pain, posterior gluteus medius timing differed during single-leg squats.
Healthy women activated it later when squatting slowly; women with pain did not change timing with speed. This is a muscle timing difference, not evidence that squat speed treats pain.
Key findings
01Only posterior gluteus medius showed a significant interaction between squat speed and group.
02Healthy women showed significantly later posterior gluteus medius onset during low-velocity squats than high-velocity squats, while women with PFPS did not show a significant difference between speeds.
03No significant velocity-by-group interaction was found for the other measured hip and knee muscles.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included only young women with and without patellofemoral pain, so it says little about men, older adults, or people with other knee causes. The paper states 24 healthy and PFPS participants were recruited, but it does not give the number analysed, so the result may be unstable. Surface EMG was used to estimate posterior gluteus medius activity, and the authors note a high risk of crosstalk from nearby gluteus maximus. The results text and tables are not fully consistent about which posterior gluteus medius pairwise comparisons reached significance. No treatment was tested, so the study cannot show that changing squat speed improves pain or function.
Declared interests
The authors declare no competing interests. No funding source is stated.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that squatting faster or slower treats patellofemoral pain. The study measured muscle timing during a single squat task and did not test any treatment, pain outcome, or functional improvement.