Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33238005›Full record

SynthesisJournal of athletic training2021

Exploring the Pain in Patellofemoral Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Examining Signs of Central Sensitization.

Kemery J Sigmund, Marie K Hoeger Bement, Jennifer E Earl-Boehm

Open access · diamondAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of athletic training, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing papers in PubMed
1.1field-weighted citation impact, top 24% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

14 citing papers in PubMed, 26 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
  3. [Idiopathic anterior knee pain-what is the problem?]Orthopadie (Heidelberg, Germany) · 2026
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Central sensitization negatively influences the level of disability in female patients with anterior knee pain.Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA · 2023
    Article
  12. Article
  13. Anterior Knee Pain: State of the Art.Sports medicine - open · 2022
    Review
  14. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Kemery J SigmundDepartment of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Marie K Hoeger BementDepartment of Physical Therapy, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI.
Jennifer E Earl-BoehmDepartment of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee · USMarquette University · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPatellofemoral pain (PFP) has high recurrence rates and minimal long-term treatment success. Central sensitization refers to dysfunctional pain modulation that occurs when nociceptive neurons become hyperresponsive. Researchers in this area of PFP have been increasingly productive in the past decade.

objectiveTo determine whether evidence supports manifestations of central sensitization in individuals with PFP. DATA SOURCES: We searched MeSH terms for quantitative sensory testing (QST) pressure pain thresholds (PPTs), conditioned pain modulation (CPM), temporal summation, sensitization, hyperalgesia, and anterior knee pain or PFP in PubMed, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, Academic Search Complete, and EBSCOhost. STUDY SELECTION: Peer-reviewed studies that were written in English and published between 2005 and 2020 and investigated QST or pain mapping in a sample with PFP were included in this review. DATA EXTRACTION: The initial search yielded 140 articles. After duplicates were removed, 78 abstracts were reviewed. The full text of 21 studies was examined, and we included 15 studies in our evaluation: 6 in the meta-analysis, 4 in the systematic review, and 5 in both the meta-analysis and systematic review. DATA SYNTHESIS: A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted for 4 QST variables (local PPTs, remote PPTs, CPM, temporal summation). Strong evidence supported lower local and remote PPTs, impaired CPM, and facilitated temporal summation in individuals with PFP compared with pain-free individuals. Evidence for heat and cold pain thresholds was conflicting. Pain mapping demonstrated expanding pain patterns associated with long duration of PFP symptoms.

conclusionsSigns of central sensitization were present in individuals with PFP, indicating altered pain modulation. The etiologic and treatment models of PFP should reflect the current body of evidence regarding central sensitization. Signs of central sensitization should be monitored clinically, and treatments with central effects should be considered as part of a multimodal plan of care.

Indexed as

Central Nervous System SensitizationPatellofemoral Pain SyndromeHumansPainPain ThresholdQuality of Lifeanterior knee painhyperalgesiapain sensitization

Identifiers

PMID33238005
PMCPMC8359717
OpenAlexW3109089544

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.