PHYSICAL EXAMINATION THAT CAN IDENTIFY UNILATERAL PATELLAR TENDINITIS PATIENTS WITH LIMITED KNEE RANGE OF MOTION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14456/jsst.2022.6Keywords:
Knee joint, Patellar tendinitis, Physical examination, Physical therapyAbstract
Limited knee range of motion (ROM) is one problem in patients with patellar tendinitis. Although comprehensive examination is recommended, no study has previously identified specific examination relevant to limited ROM in these patients. This would help in minimizing time during physical examination. Objective: To investigate physical examination including palpation, muscle length, muscle strength, and passive movement test that can identify patellar tendinitis patients who had limited knee ROM.Methods: Fifty-nine patient records diagnosed as patellar tendinitis were included in this study. Knee ROM and muscle strength were recorded as actual scores, while palpation, muscle length and passive movement were recorded as categorical variables. An independent t-test was used to compare knee ROM between pain/no pain and tightness/no tightness, whereas one-way ANOVA with post-hoc Bonferroni was used to compare among normal/limited by pain/limited by resistance. Spearmen’s correlation test was used to determine correlation between ROM and muscle strength.Results: Tenderness at popliteus muscle, iliotibial band tightness, hamstring muscle strength, and limited by pain during passive movement test in flexion with adduction, posteroanterior, anteroposterior, extension with abduction and extension with adduction significantly affected (P<0.05) knee flexion ROM. Limited by resistance during passive movement test also significantly affected (P<0.05) knee extension ROM.
Conclusion: Limited knee flexion suggests problem with tenderness at popliteus muscle, iliotibial band tightness, hamstring muscle strength, and limited knee mobility by pain, while limited knee extension primarily indicates problem with limited knee mobility by resistance. These findings may help physical therapists to select appropriate physical examination in patients with patellar tendinitis who has limited knee ROM.
(Journal of Sports Science and Technology 2022; 22(1):70-85)
(Received: 16 October 2021, Revised: 22 February 2022, Accepted: 2 March 2022)
*Corresponding author: Warinda INTIRAVORANONT
Physical Therapy Center, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Mahidol University
999 Phuttamonthon 4 Road, Salaya,Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
Email: warinda.int@mahidol.ac.th
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