Poor Mental Health Indicators in Individuals With Patellofemoral Pain

Abstract

Context: Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is a common source of knee pain in active individuals, accounting for a large number of knee injuries examined in sports medicine clinics. As a chronic condition, PFP can affect mental health. However, this effect has not yet been studied in individuals with PFP. Objective: To determine how subjective physical and mental health measures in individuals with PFP differed from those measures in pain-free individuals. Design: Case-control study. Setting: Laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Volunteers for the study were 30 people with PFP (19 women, 11 men; age = 20.23 6 3.32 years, height = 166.69 ± 6.41 cm, mass = 69.55 ± 13.15 kg) and 30 matched pain-free individuals (19 women, 11 men; age = 20.33 ± 3.37 years, height = 169.31 ± 9.30 cm, mass = 64.02 ± 11.00 kg). Main Outcome Measure(s): Current and worst pain levels in the past 24 hours were determined using a visual analog scale (VAS). The Anterior Knee Pain Scale, Fear Avoidance Belief Questionnaire, and Lower Extremity Functional Scale were administered. Physical and mental health measures were obtained using a modified 12-item Short Form Health Survey. Scores for 2 subscales on the modified Short Form-12 were weighted and calculated: physical component and mental component. Independent t tests were calculated to compare variables between groups. Coefficient correlations were used to measure the associations between the variables. Results: Individuals with PFP reported lower levels of physical (pain free: 56.13 ± 1.63, PFP: 50.54 ± 7.10, P < .001) and mental (pain-free: 53.32 ± 4.71, PFP: 48.64 ± 10.53, P = .03) health. In the PFP group, we found moderate negative correlations between the VAS score for current pain and mental health (r = -0.52, P < .01) and between the VAS score for worst pain in the past 24 hours and mental health (r = -0.46, P = .01) and between activity limitations in individuals with PFP and fear avoidance beliefs (r = -0.61, P < .01). Conclusions: Our results should encourage clinicians, especially musculoskeletal rehabilitation professionals, to acknowledge the importance of a whole-person approach when treating or planning rehabilitation programs for individuals with PFP.