Biofeedback exercise improved the EMG activity ratio of the medial and lateral vasti muscles in subjects with patellofemoral pain syndrome

Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is usually due to weakness of vastus medialis obliquus (VMO) resulting in abnormal patellar tracking. One of the objectives of rehabilitation is to strengthen the VMO so as to counterbalance the vastus lateralis (VL) action during normal activities. This study compared the effects of an 8-week exercise program with and without EMG biofeedback on the relative activations of VMO and VL. Twenty-six subjects with PFPS were randomly allocated into an “exercise” group (Group 1) and a “biofeedback + exercise” group (Group 2). Both groups performed the same exercise program but subjects in Group 2 received real time EMG biofeedback information on the relative activations of VMO and VL during the exercises. After 8 weeks of training, Group 1 had insignificant changes in their VMO/VL EMG ratio (p = 0.355), whereas Group 2 had significantly greater VMO/VL EMG ratio (p = 0.017) when performing normal activities throughout a 6-h assessment period. The present result reveals that the incorporation of an EMG biofeedback into a physiotherapy exercise program could facilitate the activation of VMO muscle such that the muscle could be preferentially recruited during daily activities.