Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is characterized by pain in the anterior region or around the patella during weight-bearing activities, being more prevalent in women. Its high recurrence rate can compromise the performance of daily activities. Functional tests are simple and low-cost tools widely used to assess functional performance in patients with musculoskeletal disorders. However, the functional deficit identified through these tests is still underexplored in the PFP population. Therefore, investigating whether functional tests can detect performance differences compared to asymptomatic individuals may be relevant to improve assessments in clinical practice.

Compare the performance in functional tests between women with and without PFP.

Sixty women, aged between 18 and 35 years, physically active, participated in this study, divided into two groups: PFP (n = 30) and control (n = 30). Initially, anamnesis was performed to obtain personal data and eligibility criteria. Functional assessment was conducted through three tests. The forward jump test, in which the participant had to stand on one leg, jump as far as possible, and land without losing balance. The test was performed three times, and the best performance was considered for data analysis. The one-legged chair rise test, in which the participant had to rise from a chair and then sit back down using only the assessed leg, performing as many repetitions as possible in 30 seconds. The step-down test, in which the participant was asked to touch the ground with the heel of the non-tested leg while keeping the tested leg on the step, then return to the initial position, performing as many repetitions as possible in 30 seconds. For data analysis, an independent samples t-test was applied, with a significance level of p < 0.05.

Women with PFP showed a deficit in functional performance in the forward jump test (p = 0.005), step-down test (p < 0.001), and one-legged chair rise test (p = 0.042) compared to asymptomatic women.

Women with PFP show a decline in performance in functional tests when compared to asymptomatic women, which can be detected through clinical tests.

Functional tests should be incorporated into the assessment and monitoring of rehabilitation programs for women with patellofemoral pain, allowing for the identification of the level of impairment and the progression of functional capacity throughout the treatment. Furthermore, it is recommended that rehabilitation include exercises that simulate activities of daily living, aiming to improve functionality and the quality of life of these patients.