Materials: (1) 20 cm high step.
Methods:
- The patient is asked to stand in single limb support with the hands on the waist, the knee straight and the foot positioned close to the edge the step
- The contralateral leg is positioned over the floor adjacent to the step and is maintained with the knee in extension
- The patient then bends the tested knee until the contralateral leg gently contacts the floor and then re-extends the knee to the starting position
- This maneuver is repeated for 5 repetitions
Interpretation:
| Criteria | Interpretation | Score |
| Arm Strategy | Removal of hand from waist | +1 |
| Trunk Alignment | Leaning in any direction | +1 |
| Pelvic Plane | Loss of horizontal plane | +1 |
| Knee Position | Tibial Tuberosity medial to second toe | +1 |
| Tibial Tuberosity medial to medial border of foot | +2 | |
| Steady Stance | Patient stepped onto non-tested limb, or foot wavered from side to side | +1 |
- Total score of 0 or 1 was classified as good quality of movement
- Total score of 2 or 3 was classified as medium quality
- Total score of 4 or above was classified as poor quality of movement
Reliability:
| Study | Population | Kappa (% Agreement) |
| Piva et al., 2006 | Patients diagnosed with PFPS (Average age= 29.1) | 0.67 (80%) |
| Rabin et al., 2010 | Healthy Females (Average age= 24.3) | 0.59 (83%) |
| Rabin et al., 2014 | Patients diagnosed with PFPS (Average age= 19.9-20.8) | 0.81 (91%) |
Research:
1. Piva SR, Fitzgerald K, Irrgang JJ, et al. Reliability of measures of impairments associated with patellofemoral pain syndrome. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. 2006; 7(1): 1-13.
2. Piva SR, Fitzgerald GK, Irrgang JJ, et al. Associates of Physical Function and Pain in Patients with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2009;90(2):285-295. doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2008.08.214.
3. Rabin A, et al. Measures of Range of Motion and Strength Among Healthy Women With Differing Quality of Lower Extremity Movement During the Lateral Step Down Test. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. 2010; 40(12): 792–800.
4. Rabin A, et al. Factors Associated With Visually-Assessed Quality of Movement During a Lateral Step Down Test Among Individuals With Patellofemoral Pain. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. 2014. [Epub Ahead of Print]
5. Jones D, et al. Observational Ratings of Frontal Plane Knee Position Are Related to the Frontal Plane Projection Angle But Not Knee Abduction Angle During a Step Down Task. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. 2014. [Epub Ahead of Print]
