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Strength Training in Female Runners With Patellofemoral Pain

NCT04480528 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 20

Last updated 2022-03-04

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is a common running-related injury that is often referred to as runner's knee. The condition typically presents with pain in the front of the knee that is located around or behind the knee cap. This injury occurs twice as frequently in females and is often associated with weakness of the muscles of the thigh and hip, as well as altered running form. Heavy-weight strength training is needed in order to improve muscle weakness; however, this puts a significant amount of load on the knee joint and it is difficult for individuals with PFP to train at this level without experiencing increased pain and joint discomfort. Blood flow restriction training (BFRT) is a promising alternative method to safely improve muscle weakness while reducing knee joint loading. With BFRT, a pressurized band is applied to the thigh in order to partially restrict blood flow as a patient exercises in order to decrease the amount of oxygen delivered to the muscle. Lack of oxygen to the muscle combined with strength training creates an environment within the muscle that results in the ability of low-weight strength training to provide the same results as heavy-weight strength training.

This study will evaluate how low-weight strength training with and without BFRT affects thigh and hip strength, and consequently pain, function, running ability, and running form in female runners with PFP. The hypothesis is that 10 weeks of low-weight strength training with BFRT will lead to greater thigh and hip strength, reduced pain, improved knee function, improved running ability, and improved running form compared to low-weight strength training without BFRT. The expected results will have a significant impact within the running community by providing a safe and effective treatment that increases strength and improves running form while reducing pain and joint loading. This will also have an impact on the larger field of sports medicine by providing an alternative method to improve strength, as well as improve function when heavy-weight strength training is not well tolerated or unsafe due to injury.

Conditions

  • Patellofemoral Syndrome

Interventions

OTHER

Blood Flow Restriction Training (BFRT)

A pressurized cuff is applied to the proximal thigh in order to partially occlude blood flow as the patient exercises.

OTHER

Sham Blood Flow Restriction Training (Sham BFRT)

A minimally pressurized cuff is applied to the proximal thigh in order to mimic the active blood flow restriction unit as the patient exercises.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • American College of Sports Medicine

    collaborator OTHER

  • Lauren Erickson

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Lauren Erickson, DPT · University of Kentucky

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
50 Years
Sex
FEMALE
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2020-06-08
Primary Completion
2021-11-13
Completion
2021-11-13

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT04480528 on ClinicalTrials.gov