Knee flexor strength, rate of torque development and flexibility in women and men with patellofemoral pain: Relationship with pain and the performance in the single leg bridge test

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between: (1) knee flexor strength, rate of torque development (RTD), and flexibility with pain level; (2) knee flexor strength and RTD with the performance in the single leg bridge test (SLBT) in women and men with patellofemoral pain (PFP). Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Laboratory-based study. Participants: 39 women and 36 men with PFP. Main outcome measures: Knee flexor strength, RTD, and flexibility; performance in the SLBT, current, and worst pain level. Results: Moderate to strong significant negative relationships were identified between the current pain level with knee flexor strength (r = −0.57 to −0.34) and flexibility (r = −0.44 to −0.35); and between knee flexor strength and RTD with the performance in the SLBT (r = 0.34 to 0.57) in women and men with PFP. Knee flexor RTD was not related to any pain level and no significant relationships were identified between the worst pain level with knee flexor strength and flexibility in women and men with PFP. Conclusions: Our results support the potential value of assessing knee flexor strength and flexibility in women and men with PFP. The SLBT may be a useful tool to assess knee flexor muscle capacity in individuals with PFP in a clinical setting.