Patellofemoral Pain, Q-Angle, and Performance in Female Chinese Collegiate Soccer Players

Abstract

Background and objective: Female sports injuries have been neglected by science, and few relevant studies have considered female subjects. Knee pain in female soccer players is more common than in male soccer players. The number of days of absence from training and competition has been shown to be higher in females than males. The reporting of knee pain is common in female soccer players, but whether knee pain is associated with morphological features is unclear. The Q-angle of the knee has been hypothesized to be a causal factor in knee pain. Asian females have shown higher levels of valgus than non-sporting Caucasian populations, but no data exist for female Chinese players. The aim of our study was to investigate whether there are associations between knee pain, the Q-angle of the lower limb, jump performance, play time, and perceived exertion in female Chinese collegiate soccer players. Materials and Methods: We measured the Q-angle, patellofemoral/anterior knee pain (SNAPPS questionnaire), and CMJ and SJ performance of 21 subjects (age: 20.09 ± 1.13 years, weight: 56.9 ± 6.26 kg, height: 164.24 ± 4.48 cm, and >10 years of practice) before and after a match; Borg scale and play time results were also recorded. Results: We found that our studied group had higher Q-angles in comparison to other ethnic groups reported in the literature, as well as an association of the Q-angle with the age, height, and weight of the players; however, contrary to other studies, we did not find any association between the Q-angle and knee pain, jumps, play time, or perceived exertion. Knee pain was not associated with any of the measured variables. Conclusions: Female Chinese soccer players showed higher Q-angles than players of other ethnic groups, a result that was associated with anthropometrics. The Q-angle was not found to be associated with knee pain, for which the sole determinant was body height.

Radiological Differences Following Proximal Femoral Nail Antirotation (PFNA) Compared to the Contralateral Side and Its Correlation with Harris Hip Score (HHS) in Intertrochanteric Femoral Fracture After Three Months

“…Thus yet, there is a lack of studies that directly compare the two. (Gong et al, 2017;Skouras et al, 2022;You et al, 2023) Present research is primarily centered around the Quadriceps Angle (Q-Angle) in the context of knee surgery. Nevertheless, the Quadriceps Angle (Q-Angle) is directly associated with the hip.…”

“…The Quadriceps Angle (Q-Angle) is a measure of the combined force vector exerted by the anterior thigh tendon and patella. (Sanchez et al, 2014;You et al, 2023) Femoral Offset (FO) is a quantitative measurement that characterizes the spatial separation between the central axis of the femoral head and the central axis of the femoral shaft. The Harris Hip Score (HHS) is a metric employed to assess the functional outcome and pain levels in the hip of individuals who have had hip injuries.…”

Patinaje de velocidad y alteraciones posturales en niños y adolescentes

“…Dentro de estos métodos cuantitativos, la literatura remarca la importancia de la medición el ángulo Q, que permite detectar alteraciones en la alineación de fuerzas en la articulación femoropatelar. El aumento o disminución de este ángulo repercuten directamente en la biomecánica del aparato extensor de la rodilla, y contribuye a la patología de la articulación femoropatelar, por lo que es una medición a tener en cuenta en la valoración postural de los deportistas (20).…”

Recommendations for the Isokinetic Test of Female’s Soccer Players Knee: A Systematic Review

“…Sen-sitivity of isokinetic machine is high [3], if the system is kept in proper working order. As a preliminary consideration, must be noted that knee injuries are most common in females compared to males' football players [48], and especially anterior knee pain is reported more often in females. Isokinetic pre-season and in-season screenings are a standard part of the functional screening of soccer's players, and the reference values are used as landmarks in case 2 of injuries, to quantify the extent of strength losses and to establish the return to play after rehabilitation [21].…”