Statement | New papers | Recommendation |
Exercise therapy | ||
Exercise therapy (vs control): | ||
1. Reduces pain the short term | 18 | Appropriate |
2. Improves function and symptoms in the short term | 18 | Uncertain |
3. Reduces pain the medium term to long term | Appropriate | |
4. Improves function and symptoms in the medium term to long term | Appropriate | |
Combined hip and knee targeted exercise therapy | ||
5. Reduces pain compared with knee targeted exercise therapy in the short term | 17 19 | Appropriate |
6. Improves function compared with knee targeted exercise therapy in the short term | 19 | Appropriate |
7. Reduces pain compared with knee targeted exercise therapy in the medium term to long term | Appropriate | |
8. Improves function compared with knee targeted exercise therapy in the medium term to long term | Appropriate | |
Hip targeted exercise therapy: | ||
9. Reduces pain compared with knee targeted exercise therapy in the short term | Uncertain | |
10. Improves function compared with knee targeted exercise therapy in the short term | Uncertain | |
11. Reduces pain compared with knee targeted exercise therapy in the medium term to long term | Uncertain | |
12. Improves function compared with knee targeted exercise therapy in the medium term to long term | Uncertain | |
Combined interventions | ||
1. Reduces pain in the short term | 21 | Appropriate |
2. Reduces pain in the medium term | Appropriate | |
3. Reduces pain in the long term among adolescents with PFP | Uncertain | |
Prefabricated foot orthoses | ||
1. Reduces pain in the short term | Appropriate | |
2. Improves function in the short term | Uncertain | |
Patellar taping and bracing | ||
1. Tailored or untailored patellar taping to reduce pain immediately during functional tasks | 25 | Uncertain |
2. Combine untailored patellar taping with exercise to further reduce pain in the long term | Uncertain | |
3. Patellar bracing to reduce pain in the short term and medium term | 22 26 | Uncertain |
Other adjunctive interventions | ||
1. Acupuncture or dry needling to trigger points reduces pain in the short/medium term* | 27 | Uncertain* |
2. Patellofemoral and knee mobilisation improves pain or functional outcomes in the short term | Inappropriate | |
3. Lumbar mobilisation/manipulation improves pain or functional outcomes in the short term | 29 | Inappropriate |
4. Electrophysical agents (eg, ultrasound, phonophoresis and laser therapy) improves pain or functional outcomes in the short term | Inappropriate | |
5. Manual soft tissue techniques (eg, ischaemic compression to peripatellar and retropatellar trigger points; myofascial techniques) are beneficial in the short term* | 29 32 | Uncertain* |
6. Blood flow restriction training is superior to knee-focused exercise therapy to reduce pain with activities of daily living in the short term* | 28 | Uncertain* |
7. Gait retraining reduces pain and improve function in the short term* | 18 30 | Uncertain* |
Statements in italics were voted on as new/revised statements in 2017.
Long term: >12 months; medium term: 6–12 months; short term: <6 months.
*Wording has been amended for consistency with 2015 statements.