St. Catherine University SOPHIA Doctor of Physical Therapy Research Papers Physical Therapy 3-2012 Risk Factors for Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome Scott Darling St. Catherine University Hannah Finsaas St. Catherine University Andrea Johnson St. Catherine University Ashley Takekawa St. Catherine University Elizabeth Wallner St. Catherine University Follow this and additional works at: https://sophia.stkate.edu/dpt_papers Recommended Citation Darling, Scott; Finsaas, Hannah; Johnson, Andrea; Takekawa, Ashley; and Wallner, Elizabeth. (2012). Risk Factors for Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome. Retrieved from Sophia, the St. Catherine University repository website: https://sophia.stkate.edu/dpt_papers/17 This Research Project is brought to you for free and open access by the Physical Therapy at SOPHIA. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctor of Physical Therapy Research Papers by an authorized administrator of SOPHIA. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. RISK FACTORS FOR PATELLOFEMORAL PAIN SYNDROME by Scott Darling Hannah Finsaas Andrea Johnson Ashley Takekawa Elizabeth Wallner Doctor of Physical Therapy Program St. Catherine University March 7, 2012 Research Advisors: Assistant Professor Kristen E. Gerlach, PT, PhD Associate Professor John S. Schmitt, PT, PhD ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is a common source of anterior knee in pain females. PFPS has been linked to severe pain, disability, and long-term consequences such as osteoarthritis. Three main mechanisms have been proposed as possible causes of PFPS: the top-down mechanism (a result of hip weakness), the bottom-up mechanism (a result of abnormal foot structure/mobility), and factors local to the knee (related to alignment and quadriceps strength). The purpose of this study was to compare hip strength and arch structure of young females with and without PFPS in order to detect risk factors for PFPS.