Measures of Health-Related Domains Used in Patellofemoral Pain: A Scoping Review and Mapping to the OMERACT Core Areas

OBJECTIVE: To provide an overview of measures used in studies of people with patellofemoral pain (PFP), and to map these measures to the core areas of the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) initiative.

DESIGN: Scoping Review.

DATA SOURCES: Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Studies published between 2000 and 2024 that reported health-related measures in participants of any age or gender with PFP, in accordance with consensus definitions. All study designs were eligible.

RESULTS: Of 7,415 records, 969 studies (n = 39,963 participants; 69% female; 61% aged 20–30 years) were included. Cross-sectional (56%) and clinical trials (28%) predominated. Patient-reported measures were used in 85% of studies, most commonly assessing pain (71%) and function/participation (67%). Quantitative measures were reported in 96% of studies, most often anthropometry (84%), neuromuscular capacity (39%), clinical assessment measures (35%), and biomechanics (32%). Mapping to the OMERACT initiative showed strong representation of “life impact” (e.g., pain, function) and “pathophysiological manifestations” (e.g., strength, structure). Few studies included measures related to “resource use,” and none addressed “death/lifespan impact.”

CONCLUSION: Studies predominantly measured pain, physical function, and mechanical impairments, with limited assessment of psychosocial factors or health system impacts. These findings support the need for a consensus-based core outcome measurement set for PFP.