Which finding is commonly reported in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS)?

Which finding is commonly reported in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS)?

• A. Pain with fever
• B. Instability with giving way
• C. Atraumatic onset of knee pain
• D. Severe swelling after injury

Answer: (C)

Patellofemoral pain syndrome usually shows pain around the patella that begins gradually, without a specific injury. This atraumatic onset reflects overuse and maltracking of the patellofemoral joint, and pain is often provoked by activities that bend the knee—like stairs, squatting, or sitting with the knee flexed for long periods. Fever suggests infection or inflammatory arthritis, not PFPS. Instability or giving way points more toward ligament injuries or meniscal pathology, not a typical PFPS picture. Severe swelling after an injury indicates an acute intra-articular issue, whereas PFPS tends to be a chronic, non-edematous pain pattern.

Patellofemoral pain syndrome usually shows pain around the patella that begins gradually, without a specific injury. This atraumatic onset reflects overuse and maltracking of the patellofemoral joint, and pain is often provoked by activities that bend the knee—like stairs, squatting, or sitting with the knee flexed for long periods.

Fever suggests infection or inflammatory arthritis, not PFPS. Instability or giving way points more toward ligament injuries or meniscal pathology, not a typical PFPS picture. Severe swelling after an injury indicates an acute intra-articular issue, whereas PFPS tends to be a chronic, non-edematous pain pattern.