Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Nov-Dec;14(6):822-828.
doi: 10.1177/19417381221088582. Epub 2022 May 20.

Are Altered Kinematics in Runners With Patellofemoral Pain Sex Specific?

Bruna Calazans Luz  1 , Ana Flávia Dos Santos  2 , Fábio Viadanna Serrão  1
Affiliations

Are Altered Kinematics in Runners With Patellofemoral Pain Sex Specific?

Bruna Calazans Luz et al. Sports Health. 2022 Nov-Dec.

Abstract

Background: Altered kinematics have been frequently observed in runners with patellofemoral pain (PFP), and few studies have aimed to understand the influence of sex on kinematics of this population. The aim of this study was to investigate whether altered hip and knee kinematics in runners with PFP are sex specific.

Hypothesis: Kinematics will be different between female and male runners with and without PFP.

Study design: Case-control study.

Level of evidence: Level 2.

Methods: Eighty-four runners were divided into 4 groups: 42 runners with PFP (20 women, 22 men) and 42 asymptomatic runners (21 women, 21 men). Three-dimensional gait analyses of the hip in the frontal and transverse plane and the knee in the frontal plane were analyzed at self-selected running speed on a treadmill. One-way analysis of covariance was used to test for differences in kinematic variables between groups.

Results: Women with PFP ran with a significantly greater peak hip adduction compared with men with PFP (mean difference [MD] = 4.45°; P = 0.00; effect size [ES] = 0.58) and male control subjects (MD = 4.2°; P = 0.01; ES = 0.54) and greater hip adduction range of motion (ROM) than men with PFP (MD = 3.44°; P = 0.01; ES = 0.49). No significant differences were identified between women with and without PFP. Female control subjects ran with greater peak hip adduction than men with PFP (MD = 5.46°; P < 0.01; ES = 0.58) and male control subjects (MD = 5.21°; P < 0.01; ES = 0.55); greater hip adduction ROM than men with PFP (MD = 4.02°; P = 0.00; ES = 0.52) and male control subjects (MD = 2.91°;P = 0.04; ES = 0.36); and greater peak knee abduction than men with PFP (MD = 3.35°; P = 0.02; ES = 0.44) and male control subjects (MD = 3.69°; P = 0.01; ES = 0.4).

Conclusion: Women have greater hip adduction than men regardless of the presence of PFP. There were no kinematics difference between women with and without PFP. Comparisons of hip internal rotation between all groups were nonsignificant.

Clinical relevance: Altered hip and knee kinematics does not appear to be sex specific in runners with PFP.

Keywords: hip; knee; men; rehabilitation; running; women.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The following authors declared potential conflicts of interest: B.C.L. received a grant from Coordenação de Apoio a Pessoal de Ensino Superior (CAPES), Finance Code 001.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Bonacci J, Hall M, Fox A, Saunders N, Shipsides T, Vicenzino B. The influence of cadence and shoes on patellofemoral joint kinetics in runners with patellofemoral pain. J Sci Med Sport. 2018;21:574-578. - PubMed
    1. Brown A, Zifchock R, Hillstrom H, Song J, Tucker C. The effects of fatigue on lower extremity kinematics, kinetics and joint coupling in symptomatic female runners with iliotibial band syndrome. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon). 2016;39:84-90. - PubMed
    1. Brughelli M, Cronin J, Chaouachi A. Effects of running velocity on running kinetics and kinematics. J Strength Cond Res. 2011;25:933-939. - PubMed
    1. Cheung R, Davis I. Landing pattern modification to improve patellofemoral pain in runners: a case series. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2011;4:914-919. - PubMed
    1. Cohen J. Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences. Revised Edition. New York: Academic Press; 1977.