{
  "abstract": "Objectives The primary aim of this study was to explore what diagnostic labels are commonly used by health professionals in managing patellofemoral pain (PFP). The secondary aims were to investigate health professionals’ management preferences for PFP, and whether imaging findings, patient characteristics, and clinicians’ expertise influence the diagnostic labels used by health professionals for PFP.Method We conducted an online cross-sectional survey of health professionals with experience in managing knee pain. The primary outcome was diagnostic labels used by health professionals for patients with PFP. Management strategies used by health professionals and questions about whether different factors would influence health professionals choice of diagnostic label for a vignette of someone with knee pain (i.e. wear and tear of the tibiofemoral cartilage, wear and tear of the patellofemoral cartilage, meniscal tear, and inflamed bursa/fat pad, BMI, age, elite athlete, pain duration, crepitus or grinding, fear of movement, and pain related self-efficacy) were secondary outcomes. Demographic and outcome data were collected and summarised using descriptive statistics. Questions about whether different factors would influence (Yes/No) health professionals selected label were summarised using frequencies (%). Logistic regression analyses were performed to explore whether years of experience and clinicians’ expertise influence the diagnostic labels used by health professionals for PFP.Results Of the 183 participants who consented to complete the survey, 156 (85%) provided data for our primary outcomes and 139 (75%) completed the full survey. The most commonly used diagnostic labels for PFP were ‘patellofemoral pain’ (83%), ‘anterior knee pain and/or syndrome’ (54%), and ‘patellofemoral pain syndrome’ (44%). The most common management strategies for PFP included exercise therapy (98%), patient education (85%), manual therapy (63%), and patellar taping (58%). Around one-third of health professionals would change their diagnosis of PFP if they found a meniscal tear (37%) or inflamed bursa/fat pad (38%) on diagnostic imaging. Health professionals who rated their diagnostic skills as excellent/good or who had more years of experience were less likely to change their label based on imaging findings.Conclusion Health professionals use of diagnostic labels and management strategies for PFP mostly aligned with current consensus statements and clinical practice guidelines. Health professionals’ diagnostic expertise and years of experience influenced the use of diagnostic labels when imaging found abnormalities. More research is needed to investigate the relationship between diagnostic labels and patients’ management intentions, and the reasons for health professionals’ choice of diagnostic labels for PFP.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Institute of Musculoskeletal Health, Sydney Local Health District and the School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia"
      ],
      "name": "Jessie Zhang"
    }
  ],
  "title": "039 Diagnostic labels used by health professionals for patellofemoral pain: a cross-sectional online survey",
  "uid": "ebc6fa35-2687-5d74-b4b3-32901afcfa48"
}