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, with knee injuries representing a large fraction of this group. Running is a mode of exercise that is highly incorporated into military and civilian fitness programs to improve and maintain aerobic fitness. Unfortunately, up to 65% of runners sustain an overuse injury each year, with 25% of those injuries due to anterior knee pain (AKP). The proposed prospective observational study will attempt to determine the factors that differentiate civilian recreational runners who remain injury-free from those diagnosed with AKP, the most common running injury, or any of the five most common overuse injuries. Runners who sustain a common overuse running injury will be compared to a non-injured cohort according to biomechanical, behavioral, and physiological risk factors. It is hypothesized that biomechanical, physiological, and behavioral risk factors will differentiate runners who do and do not get injured, and that certain factors will further differentiate those that sustain an AKP injury from those the sustain any of the most common lower extremity overuse injuries. The study population will consist 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 physiologic information (anthropometric and strength data). All baseline and follow-up data will be collected at the J.B. Snow Biomechanics Laboratory at Wake Forest University. Following baseline testing, injury status will be monitored via e-mail questionnaire every two weeks for the duration of the study.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2013
- Accession Number
- AD1063033
Entities
People
- Stephen P. Messier
Organizations
- Wake Forest University