Effect of different shoes at the onset electromyographic activity of patellar stabilizer muscles

Abstract

Introduction: Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PPS) is characterized by diffuse pain in the retropatellar region. The PPS has a higher prevalence in young women and its aetiology is not fully understood. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the percentage of onset (%) of the vastus medialis oblique (VMO) and vastus lateralis longus (VLL) of healthy women and with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PPS) during sitting and standing tasks, wearing hig heeled shoes, tennis shoes and barefoot. Methods: Twenty women were divided into two groups: control group and PPS. The onset of EMG activity of VMO and VLL muscles was recorded during the tasks, using different shoes. To compare the percentage of onset was used chi-square test with p <0.05. Results: It was found that the use of high-heeled and tennis shoes promote increased the PDI in the control group. However, no difference was observed in the PPS group. Conclusion: The results suggest that individuals with PPS do not present adaptive responses to the use of different shoes.