Abstract
A 14 year-old female patient with a 3 week history of anterior knee pain was seen for student physical therapy treatment for 12 sessions in a 6 week period at an outpatient orthopedic clinic under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist. The patient was evaluated at the initial encounter with Numeric Pain Rating Scale, Anterior Knee Pain Scale, goniometry, manual muscle testing, passive knee extension test, Patient Specific Functional Scale, and the patellofemoral pain subscale of the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score and a plan of care was established to address pain, decreased range of motion, limited lower extremity flexibility, decreased lower extremity strength that limited her ability to squat, jump, and climb stairs and restricted her participation in volleyball. Main goals for the patient were to squat, jump, and climb stairs without pain and return to high school and club volleyball. Main interventions used were symptom modulation, patient education on natural history of condition, strengthening, injury risk prevention, task-specific training, and evidence-based interventions addressing both the hip and the knee. The patient achieved the following goals: improved gait kinematics, reduced pain, improved flexibility, less tenderness to palpation and decreased hypertonicity, improved squat mechanics, and improved function with stair climbing related to her knee symptoms. The patient was discharged home to continue independent living and able to return to volleyball with precautions.