Introduction: The aetiology of patellofemoral pain is a complex interplay of anatomical, biomechanical, psychological, social and behavioural influences It is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders, characterised by pain in the front of the knee, especially during activities such as running, stair walking and jumping. The literature lists a number of factors associated with PFB, but their individual impact in the development of the clinical picture of PFB remains unclear. Purpose: The aim of the thesis was to analyse the evidence on the impact of atrophy of the vastus medialis muscle on the incidence of patellofemoral pain by reviewing the literature Methods: The thesis used a descriptive research method with a literature review. Literature was searched in two international databases - PubMed and the Cochrane Library. We searched the English search string with different combinations of the keywords "patellofemoral pain OR anterior knee pain" AND "vastus medialis OR quadriceps muscle OR atrophy". The selected studies had to include a control group with healthy individuals. Results: The literature review included 6 studies investigating the effect of atrophy of the vastus medialis muscle on the incidence of patellofemoral pain. Magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography and electromyography were used. Changes in the cross-sectional size and thickness of the muscle, as well as in the tilt of the patella, the tenderness of the femoral cartilage, the angulation of the muscle fibres and the insertion of the vastus medialis muscle were found Discussion and conclusion: Atrophy of the vastus medialis muscle affects the incidence of patellofemoral pain, but it cannot be said that atrophy is the primary cause of patellofemoral pain as research has identified several possible causes. Further research is needed to better distinguish between primary atrophy of the vastus medialis muscle and atrophy of the vastus medialis muscle because of an injury or condition.
|
