The Patellofemoral Joint: A Review of Primary Research

Abstract

An initial search using the term patellofemoral yielded 362 "hits." Following cross-referencing, this was reduced to 168 articles. These 168 articles were subjected to a content analysis, which revealed that 67 (40%) were review articles. The 101 primary research articles were reviewed, and the results are presented here; the articles represented the full spectrum of quality. One of the most surprising findings was how few patient-based data emerged, with only 1793 patients having been studied. Most research was conducted in the fields of anatomy and biomechanics, muscle parameters, and taping. The least researched fields were outcome measures, proprioception, and pain.