The effect of electrostimulation and high load exercises in patients with patellofemoral joint dysfunction. A preliminary report

Traditional conservative treatment for patellar disorders is successful in about 80 percents of cases. We introduced two new conservative treatment protocols for patellar pathology in order to further improve the success rate. The first protocol consisted of high load/low repetition quadriceps femor...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pflügers Archiv 2001-01, Vol.442 (6 Suppl 1), p.R153-r154
Main Authors: Vengust, R, Strojnik, V, Pavlovcic, V, Antolic, V, Zupanc, O
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Electric Stimulation
Electric Stimulation Therapy
Exercise Therapy
Humans
Joint Diseases - pathology
Joint Diseases - rehabilitation
Joint Diseases - therapy
Joint Dislocations - pathology
Joint Dislocations - rehabilitation
Joint Dislocations - therapy
Knee Joint - pathology
Muscle Contraction
Muscle, Skeletal - physiology
Patella - pathology
Pilot Projects
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Summary:Traditional conservative treatment for patellar disorders is successful in about 80 percents of cases. We introduced two new conservative treatment protocols for patellar pathology in order to further improve the success rate. The first protocol consisted of high load/low repetition quadriceps femoris training (10 patients) while the second enclosed selective electrostimulation of vastus medialis muscle (7 patients). Results were evaluated clinically and neurophysiologically. High load/low repetition training resulted in significant increase of maximal voluntary contraction of quadriceps muscle (P < 0.001). Significant gain of Activity (P = 0.017) and Kujala scores (P = 0.07) was observed in group with high load/low repetition quadriceps training compared to patients with electrostimulation. There was no significant change in neurophysiological or clinical status between the beginning and the end of treatment with electrostimulation. Our results indicate that high load/low repetition quadriceps femoris training poses an important alternative to traditional conservative treatment protocol for patellar disorders.
ISSN:0031-6768
DOI:10.1007/s004240100004