Comparisons of bracing and patellar taping on knee three-dimensional kinematics of women with patellofemoral pain syndrome in stance phase of running

Introduction: Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is one of the most common knee injuries that accounted for between 25-40% of all knee problems presenting to sports medicine centers. Two treatment methods of bracing and taping are recommended in these patients that their effectiveness are unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the two treatment methods on knee three-dimensional kinematics in patients with PFPS during stance phase of running. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional research, 14 patients with PFPS in range of 20-40 ages were participated in this study. Three-dimensional angles at the knee during stance phase of running were recorded by motion analysis cameras in three conditions, namely; without intervention, bracing and taping conditions and then calculated with MATLAB software. Results: Results of this study showed that knee valgus angle in PFPS patients was decreased significantly with brace when compared to without intervention during running (P<0.05). Noticeably, patella taping did not show significant differences on knee joint kinematics as compared to other conditions (P>0.05). Conclusion: Using patellofemoral brace during running can cause change more than patella taping in knee kinematics. Our finding shows that reduction of knee abduction angle by using brace could decrease perceived pain in women with PFPS during stance phase of running