Open Versus Closed Kinetic Chain Exercises in Treatment of Patients with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Purpose: Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is a common cause of knee pain and one of the most prevalent musculokeletal injuries seen by physiotherapists. The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of open kinetic chain (OKC) exercises versus closed kinetic chain (CKC) exercises in treatment of patellofemoral pain syndrome.Subjects: Thirty male and female PFPS patients, with a mean age of 29.75 (±6.12) years were participated in the study.Methods: Patients were randomly assigned into two equal groups; OKC exercises group and CKC exercises group. The mean duration of symptoms before the beginning of this study was 11.25 (±0.96) months for OKC group and 11.5 (±0.58) for CKC group. These patients were trained for 30 to 45 minutes per session, three sessions per week for five weeks. Pain severity and functional activity were measured using visual analogue scale and time taken for ascending and descending stairs, before and at the end of the treatment program. Results: There was significant improvement in functional activity in both groups, with significant reduction in pain severity only in CKC group. However, comparison between groups revealed no clinically significant differences between closed or open kinetic chain exercises.Conclusion: The closed kinetic chain exercises are more efficient than open kinetic chain exercises for reduction of pain severity in patellofemoral pain syndrome patients. On the other hand, both types of exercises are effective for improving functional activity of those patients.