Prognostic factors and potential treatment effect modifiers identified in this review
| Modifiable with non-operative treatment | Potentially modifiable | Unable to modify with non-operative treatment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prognosis | |||
| Clinically measurable | Swelling of knee (self-reported)37 Lower Kujala score27 Higher frequency of pain38 Bilateral symptoms37 Lower eccentric knee strength38 Larger asymmetry in side-to-side isometric quads strength40 | Low/middle education37 Poor health37 | Longer duration27 35 36 Older age39 Female gender36 Patellar hypermobility36 |
| Not standard clinical measurement | Smaller quads cross sectional area38 | Slower VMO reflex response35 | Tibial tubercle lateral deviation >14.6 mm41 Chondromalacia patella41 |
| Foot orthoses | |||
| Clinically measurable | Midfoot width difference > 11 mm30 32 Ankle dorsiflexion (knee flexed) <41.3°33 Usual pain<22/100 mm (VAS)33 Worst pain <53/100 mm (VAS)30 Reduced pain during single leg squat with orthoses fitted33 Footwear motion control properties (weighted mean) <533 | − | Height <165 cm30 Age>25 years30 |
| Not standard clinical measurement | Greater rearfoot eversion relative to floor46 Reduced medial-lateral peak force during drop-jump47 | ||
| Patellar taping | |||
| Clinically measurable | Lower body mass index31 | Larger Q-angle31 | |
| Not standard clinical measurement | Smaller lateral patellofemoral angle31 | ||
| Leg press and stretching lower limb muscles | |||
| Not standard clinical measurement | Difference in patellar tilt angle between maximum quadriceps contraction and quadriceps relaxed28 | – | |