Prevalence of femoral nerve neurodynamic disorder in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND

Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is among the most prevalent causes of knee pain in young adults. Emerging evidence suggests that musculoskeletal pain syndromes, including PFPS, may be associated with neurodynamic disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of femoral nerve neurodynamic disorders in patients with PFPS and to examine the association between these disorders and various clinical and demographic variables, including age, sex, body mass index, pain intensity, history of low back pain, functional ability, and rectus femoris shortness.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, one hundred patients with unilateral PFPS aged 18-44 years participated. The femoral slump test (FST) and the prone knee bending (PKB) test were employed to assess neurodynamic disorders of the femoral nerve. The associations between the results of neurodynamic tests and selected clinical and demographic variables were evaluated using logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

The prevalence of femoral nerve neurodynamic disorder in PFPS patients based on FST and PKB was 25% and 36% respectively. No significant associations were observed between FST results and the demographic or clinical variables of PFPS patients. In contrast, PKB results demonstrated significant associations with functional ability (OR = 0.96; 95% CI = 0.93-0.99), rectus femoris shortness (OR = 2.9; 95% CI = 1.15-7.33), and pain intensity (OR = 2.04; 95% CI = 1.36-3.07).

CONCLUSION

More than one-quarter of PFPS patients exhibited increased mechanosensitivity of the femoral nerve, indicating a notable prevalence of neurodynamic disorders within this population. Nevertheless, the cross-sectional design and use of convenience sampling may limit the generalizability of these findings. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating neurodynamic assessments into the clinical evaluation of PFPS patients to facilitate more effective management.