The Runners and Injury Longitudinal Study
Abstract
Medical disability discharge rates have increased over 600% in the last 25 years. The majority of these disabilities are due to musculoskeletal problems, withknee injuries representing a large fraction of this group. Running is a mode of exercise that is highly incorporated into military and civilian fitness programs toimprove and maintain aerobic fitness. Unfortunately, up to 65% of runners sustain an overuse injury each year, with 25% of those injuries due to anterior kneepain (AKP). The proposed prospective observational study will attempt to determine the factors that differentiate civilian recreational runners who remaininjury-free from those diagnosed with AKP, the most common running injury, or any of the five most common overuse injuries. Runners who sustain a commonoveruse running injury will be compared to a non-injured cohort according to biomechanical, behavioral, and physiological risk factors. It is hypothesized thatbiomechanical, physiological, and behavioral risk factors will differentiate runners who do and do not get injured, and that certain factors will furtherdifferentiate those that sustain an AKP injury from those the sustain any of the most common lower extremity overuse injuries. The study population willconsist of 180 adult community distance runners who have been running a minimum of 5 miles/wk for at least 6 months without sustaining an overuse injury.Baseline testing will consist of lower extremity biomechanics testing, gathering training history information via questionnaires, and recording physiologicinformation (anthropometric and strength data). All baseline and follow-up data will be collected at the J.B. Snow Biomechanics Laboratory at Wake ForestUniversity. Following baseline testing, injury status will be monitored via e-mail questionnaire every two weeks for the duration of the study. Six and 12-monthfollow-up data will be collected for all runners.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2011
- Accession Number
- AD1063018
Entities
People
- Stephen P. Messier
Organizations
- Wake Forest University