Sex Differences in Knee Extensor Neuromuscular Function in Individuals With and Without Patellofemoral Pain

Anatomical Regions:

Knee

Conditions / Diseases:

Patellofemoral pain

Sungwan Kim, MS, ATC, Neal R. Glaviano, PhD, ATC, and Jihong Park, PhD, AT, CSCS

Background:  Impaired knee extensor neuromuscular function has been frequently observed in individuals with patellofemoral pain (PFP); however, few researchers have aimed to understand the influence of sex on knee extensor neuromuscular function in this pathological population. The authors aimed to determine whether there are differences in knee extensor neuromuscular function between sexes in individuals with and without PFP. Conclusion:  Compared with sex-matched pain-free individuals, women with PFP displayed lower RTD than men with PFP. Clinicians should note that among individuals with PFP, women are more likely to experience a greater impairment in their knee extensor torque-generating capacity than men.

Clinical Relevance:

Additional treatment strategies that effectively improve the ability to rapidly generate torque should be developed and implemented, especially when treating women with PFP.

https://doi.org/10.1177/19417381231209318