The relationship between the exercise capacity and the quality of life of disability in case of patellofemoral pain syndrome

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to assess the relationship between the exercise capacity and thequality of life of disability in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome. The study wasconducted with a research group of 25 subjects diagnosed to have a Patellofemoral painsyndrome at the Private Mesa Hospital, Department of Orthopedics Outpatient Clinic asthe research group and 25 healthy subjects were chosen as the control group. 12-minutewalk test was conducted with both groups in order to evaluate the functional capacity.Heart rate, blood pressure, breathing frequency, pain intensity (Visual Analog Scale)VAS and BORG the degree of exertion were evaluated before the 12-minute walk test,immediately after its completion and during the recovery status at 3rd and 5th minutes.Estimated maximal oxygen uptake was evaluated in both groups, after 12 minute walktest. The patellofemoral pain syndrome assessment of the subjects was performed byKujala patellofemoral scoring method in the study. Subjects? quality of life was carriedout by means of World Health Organization Quality Of Life-Brief Ranking EvaluationForm (WHOQOL-BREF) and depression situation was evaluated with Beck depressionscale. There was no statistical significance in neither 12 minute values nor estimatedmaximal oxygen uptake values between the groups (p>0,05). No statistical difference hadbeen found in heart rate, blood pressure, breathing frequency and BORG values betweenthe two groups before 12 minute walk test (p>0,05), immediately its completion andduring recovery period at 3rd and 5th minutes of walk test (p>0,05). The statisticaldifference was observed between the VAS values in the research group (p<0,05). Thedifference of BORG values before and after the 12 minute walk test were found morestatistically significant in the research group than it was in the control group (p<0,05).Kujala patellofemoral scoring was found much lower in the research group than thescoring in the control group (p<0,05). While a significant difference between the groupswas determined in the physical, psychological, and environmental domains ofWHOQOL-BREF quality of life instrument (p>0,05), no significant difference wasdetermined in social domain between the groups (p>0,05). When the values of Beckdepression scale was examined, a significant difference was not encountered betweentwo groups at all (p>0,05). However, a significant difference was statistically determinedbetween the cases in Kujala patellofemoral scoring and the physical domain scoring ofWHOQOL-BREF between the groups (p<0,05). In conclusion, it was revealed thatpatellofemoral pain syndrome within the research group had caused a disability andadversely affected the quality of life and functional capacity.Key words: Patellofemoral pain syndrome, functional capacity, quality of life.