Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: Diagnosis [Clinical Review Discussion]

Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is a condition that is most commonly diagnosed based on patient history, observation and physical examination. There is no gold standard for diagnosis. The etiology of PFPS is multifactorial and although arriving at a diagnosis is relatively easy, determining the etiology, which leads to proper treatment, is more difficult.

The patient experiencing PFPS often complains of pain under or around the patella which is often exacerbated by climbing or descending stairs. Pain or stiffness after sitting with the knees bent is common. Swelling is uncommon (1).

The diagnosis portion of this monograph will be divided into two sections. The first will discuss commonly used clinical tests and procedures to help arrive at a diagnosis of PFPS. The second section will assist the reader in determining etiology which will aid in choosing an appropriate treatment plan.

The information relating to reliability, sensitivity, specificity or likelihood ratios for these tests are very limited.