Comparison of the Balance Indices of Professional Athletes with and without Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Objective: The aim at this study was the comparison of balance indices between professional athletes with patellofemoral pain syndrome(PFPS) and healthy athletes. Materials & Methods: In this comparative and Case-Control study,16 national teams' male athletes who were selected purposefully and 16 healthy national teams' male athletes who were matched based on variables such as weight, height, age, sport, predominance of the lower limbs, have participated. The Biodex balance system was utilized to assess postural balance as overall stability, anterior-posterior and mediolateral stability indices in open and blind conditions on dominant limb. The K-S test has been used to examine the normality of distribution, while the independent T for comparing the target groups. Results: There was a significant difference between two groups in the open situation only for the overall stability index (P<0.05). In addition, there was a significant differences between the blind condition of both overall stability index (P<0.004) and the anterior-posterior stability index (P<0.01). There was no significant relationship between the other variables. Conclusion: May be the dynamic stability indices in the athletes with PFPS have been distorted due to ineffectual activity of muscles.