Patellofemoral pain
Also called: pain around the kneecap
Pain around or behind the kneecap, often worse with stairs, squatting or sitting for a long time.
Where the evidence stands
- No AOPT clinical practice guideline in our library yet — lean on the reviews below.
- 6 recent reviews (systematic reviews and meta-analyses) and 6 recent randomized trials shown below.
- Most recent publication here: Oct 1, 2026.
Outcome measures clinicians use to track progress: Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS), Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS).
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
Studies of studies — each pools the results of many trials.
- Gait Retraining for Patellofemoral Pain in Runners: An Umbrella Review of Clinical and Biomechanical Evidence
- Efficacy of high-intensity laser therapy for patellofemoral pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- Effects of telerehabilitation on pain and physical function in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome: Systematic review and meta-analysis
- Bridging the Gap: A Systematic Evidence and Gap Map of Risk Factors and Preventive Strategies for Patellofemoral Pain
- Effects of blood flow restriction exercise interventions on patellofemoral pain syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- The effectiveness of dry needling at myofascial trigger points for knee disorders: A quantitative synthesis of randomized controlled trials
Recent randomized trials
Newest first. Single trials are building blocks; weigh them against the reviews.
- Foot-Targeted Rehabilitation for Pronation-Related Anterior Knee Pain: A Two-Phase Case-Control Study and Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial of Manual Therapy Versus Neuromuscular Training Each With Augmented Low-Dye Taping
- Effects of Neurostimulation With Blood Flow Restriction on Physical and Mental Health-Related Quality of Life in Military Personnel With Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: Secondary Data Analysis
- Is outcome observed in performance of clinical tests associated with patient-reported outcome measures after patellofemoral pain treatment? Secondary analysis of data from a randomized clinical trial
- Single-set versus three-set resistance training in the management of women with patellofemoral pain: A randomized clinical trial
- Effects of foot core training combined with hip and knee strengthening on patients with patellofemoral pain: a randomized controlled trial
- Dynamic proprioceptive training improves functional recovery in sprinters with patellofemoral pain: A randomized trial
Studies without a summary yet get one the first time a Limbic member opens them, or within a few days.