Background

Ankle range of motion abnormalities have been often linked with alteration in knee kinematics leading to the development of patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). Literature exploring the relationship between ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (DF ROM) and knee kinematics during functional tasks is scanty. This study aims to assess the relation between ankle DF ROM and frontal plane projection angle (FPPA), one of the knee kinematic variables, in individuals with and without PFPS during a step-down test.

Methods

This is a case-control study in which seventy PFPS patients and other 70 asymptomatic control subjects had their ankle DF ROM measured using an inclinometer with the knee flexed and extended. Their FPPA angles were measured using Kinovea software while doing the step-down test.

Results

When the two groups were compared, ankle DF ROM measured with the knee flexed was higher in the control group (33.15 ± 4.96) than in the PFPS group (30.20 ± 6.93) (p = 0.03). In both the PFPS group and the control group, the correlation between FPPA and ankle DF ROM with the knee flexed was statistically insignificant (p = 0.075 and 0.323 respectively).

Conclusion

Decreased ankle DF ROM can be one of the contributing factors to the development of PFPS in the context of greater dynamic knee valgus.

中文翻译：

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踝关节背屈活动度、额状面投影角与髌股关节疼痛综合征的关系

背景

踝关节运动范围异常通常与膝关节运动学改变有关，从而导致髌股疼痛综合征 (PFP​​S) 的发展。探讨功能性任务中踝关节背屈运动范围 (DF ROM) 与膝关节运动学之间关系的文献很少。本研究旨在评估在降压测试期间有和没有 PFPS 的个体的踝关节 DF ROM 与额状面投影角 (FPPA) 之间的关系，FPPA 是膝关节运动学变量之一。

方法

这是一项病例对照研究，其中 70 名 PFPS 患者和其他 70 名无症状对照受试者在膝关节屈曲和伸展时使用测斜仪测量了他们的踝关节 DF ROM。他们的 FPPA 角度是在进行降压测试时使用 Kinovea 软件测量的。

结果

比较两组时，对照组 (33.15 ± 4.96) 测量的踝关节 DF ROM 高于 PFPS 组 (30.20 ± 6.93) (p = 0.03)。在 PFPS 组和对照组中，FPPA 和踝关节 DF ROM 与膝关节弯曲之间的相关性在统计学上不显着（分别为 p = 0.075 和 0.323）。

结论

在更大的动态膝关节外翻的情况下，踝关节 DF ROM 减少可能是 PFPS 发展的促成因素之一。