title: Influence of patellofemoral pain syndrome on plantar pressure in the foot rollover process during gait.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome is one of the most common knee disorders among physically active young women. Despite its high incidence, the multifactorial etiology of this disorder is not fully understood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the influence of Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome on plantar pressure distribution during the foot rollover process (i.e., the initial heel contact, midstance and propulsion phases) of the gait.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-seven young adults, including 22 subjects with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (30 ± 7 years, 165 ± 9 cm, 63 ± 12 kg) and 35 control subjects (29 ± 7 years, 164 ± 8 cm, 60 ± 11 kg), volunteered for the study. The contact area and peak pressure were evaluated using the Pedar-X system (Novel, Germany) synchronized with ankle sagittal kinematics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subjects with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome showed a larger contact area over the medial (p = 0.004) and central (p = 0.002) rearfoot at the initial contact phase and a lower peak pressure over the medial forefoot (p = 0.033) during propulsion when compared with control subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome is related to a foot rollover pattern that is medially directed at the rearfoot during initial heel contact and laterally directed at the forefoot during propulsion. These detected alterations in the foot rollover process during gait may be used to develop clinical interventions using insoles, taping and therapeutic exercise to rehabilitate this dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biomechanics of the Human Movement and Posture, Physical Therapy, Speech and Occupational Therapy Department, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aliberti
authors.forename: Mariana de S X
authors.initials: Mde S
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Anice de Campos
authors.initials: Ade C
authors.lastname: Passaro
authors.forename: Antônio Carlos
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Arnone
authors.forename: Rogério
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hirata
authors.forename: Isabel C N
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Sacco
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010147:Pain Measurement; D046788:Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011312:Pressure; D012737:Sex Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult