About Us News Study Will Focus on Pain Around the Kneecap

Study Will Focus on Pain Around the Kneecap

Sep. 19 -- ST. LOUIS -- If you've run or cycled to any extent, you may have at some point wound up with pain around or behind the kneecap.

Called patellofemoral joint pain, it's one of the most common orthopedic injuries, affecting an estimated 60 million Americans. Yet despite its prevalence, little is known about why the condition occurs in some people but not in others.

Now, researchers at St. Louis University are trying to change that. With a $485,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health, doctors will try to uncover new information that could lead to improved treatments or, better yet, ways to prevent the annoying problem.

And, you still have a chance to help with the research.

"The advice most people get after they develop pain around the kneecap is to quit the activity that caused the pain in the first place," said Dr. Gretchen Salsich, an associate professor of physical therapy and the lead investigator. "That may stop the pain, but it may also put an end to the patient's active lifestyle, which can lead to bigger health problems down the road. What we're trying to do is find out whether there are mechanical factors, such as the way people walk, that contribute to these injuries.

"Our hope is to find new treatments and methods of prevention, so people don't have to give up the tennis court for the couch."

Use-injuries of this type develop over a period of time because of such repetitive motions as jumping, running, squatting or stair-climbing. It is estimated that half of all athletes develop pain around their kneecaps at some point, Salsich said.

To treat the condition, doctors usually prescribe physical therapy to strengthen the muscles of the quadriceps and stretch the hamstrings. Still, nearly half the time, such therapy does not keep the injuries from recurring.

Salsich said she hopes to discover additional factors that patients might take note of to keep their kneecaps healthy. For example, she has noticed some patients who have repetitive stress injuries in their knees have poor hip control. As a result, strengthening hip muscles may be another way to prevent future injury, she said.

Salsich is more than halfway through the five-year study, which will evaluate examinations of 30 people with pain around the kneecap and 30 with healthy knees. If you're between 18 and 40, you may be able to participate by calling (314) 977-8744.

Participants will walk through a motion analysis system consisting of several cameras and sensors. The system records data about the way they walk, from the amount of force their feet apply when they hit the ground to whether their limbs are in proper alignment. Participants also will undergo an MRI scan with their knees flexed.

The study requires one or two visits to the university medical center. All diagnostic work is free, and participants will receive a $50 stipend.

Salsich says participation could be a critical first step in helping doctors identify new ways to solve an old problem.

"The NIH is increasingly addressing the issues that keep people away from active lifestyles," she said. "People who are unable to stay active because of injuries are put at risk for everything from heart disease to diabetes later in life."

Copyright (c) 2006, Belleville News-Democrat, Ill.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.

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