Knee extensor training in patients with patellofemoral pain: a systematic review and synthesis.
Ted Gunhamn, Haris Pojskic, Sofia Ryman Augustsson
PMID 40861009WHAT IT FOUND
Knee extensor training for patellofemoral pain is usually prescribed as three sets of ten bodyweight reps of straight leg raises, squats, or open chain extensions.
However, most studies lack details on load and range of motion, making precise replication difficult.
Key findings
01The most common prescription is three sets of ten repetitions using only body weight, with straight leg raises, squats, and open chain knee extensions being the most frequently used exercises.
02Only 25 of the 79 included studies provided comprehensive information on training variables, with range of motion being the least reported.
03The review did not assess effectiveness or compare exercises because the primary aim was to describe current prescribing practices and reporting completeness.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The review is descriptive only. It does not tell you which exercise or dosage is more effective for pain or function. Many of the included studies had a high risk of bias, particularly because patients knew which treatment they were receiving and reported their own pain and function scores. Because reporting in the original studies was so inconsistent, the authors could not perform a meta-analysis or reliably compare the effect of different training variables. The search was limited to English-language articles.
Declared interests
The authors declared that no financial support was received for the research or publication of this article.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the prevalence of low-load, bodyweight exercises as evidence that they are the most effective treatment. The review shows they are the most commonly prescribed, likely to minimize pain, but the authors explicitly state that no conclusions about superiority or efficacy can be drawn from this data.