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
. 2024 Oct 17:57:102562.
doi: 10.1016/j.jcot.2024.102562. eCollection 2024 Oct.

Incidence and biomechanical risk factors for running-related injuries: A prospective cohort study

Poliana F Moreira  1 , Priscila M Veras  1 , Túlio M D Oliveira  1 , Matheus A Souza  2 , Leonardo L Catharino  3 , Wyngrid P Borel  1 , Alexandre C Barbosa  2 , Diogo S Fonseca  1 , Diogo C Felício  1
Affiliations

Incidence and biomechanical risk factors for running-related injuries: A prospective cohort study

Poliana F Moreira et al. J Clin Orthop Trauma. .

Abstract

Background: Injuries among runners is significant, yet the contributing risk factors remain elusive. The objective of this study was to examined the incidence and biomechanical elements associated with running-related injuries.

Methods: A 24-week prospective study was carried out. Injury incidence was calculated per 1000 h of running, with participants completing bi-monthly online questionnaires. Biomechanical risk factors, encompassing plantar pressure, muscle strength of hip and knee muscles, core stability, dorsiflexion, passive hip internal rotation, lower extremity length, Q-angle, and shank-forefoot alignment, were assessed at baseline. Logistic regression was used to investigate the relationship between injury incidence and these biomechanical risk factors.

Results: Ninety-eight runners participated in the study. Injury incidence was 8.1 per 1000 h of running, with 41 runners experiencing musculoskeletal injuries during the follow-up period. The knee emerged as the most commonly affected joint, constituting 28.4 % of injuries. The Odds Ratio for hip external rotator muscle strength was .84 (95 % Confidence Interval = .71 - .99).

Conclusion: Greater force during hip external rotation was identified as a protective factor against running injuries. These findings bear significance for the formulation and implementation of preventive strategies.

Keywords: Incidence; Injury; Risk assessment; Running.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

References

    1. Hulteen R.M., Smith J.J., Morgan P.J., et al. Global participation in sport and leisure-time physical activities: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Prev Med. 2017;95:14–25. - PubMed
    1. Lee D.C., Pate R.R., Lavie C.J., Sui X., Church T.S., Blair S.N. Leisure-time running reduces all-cause and cardiovascular mortality risk. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2014;64(5):472–481. - PMC - PubMed
    1. van Gent R.N., Siem D., van Middelkoop M., van Os A.G., Bierma-Zeinstra S.M., Koes B.W. Incidence and determinants of lower extremity running injuries in long distance runners: a systematic review. Br J Sports Med. 2007;41(8):469–480. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Smits D.W., Huisstede B., Verhagen E., et al. Short-term absenteeism and health care utilization due to lower extremity injuries among novice runners: a prospective cohort study. Clin J Sport Med. 2016;26(6):502–509. - PubMed
    1. Hsu C.J., Meierbachtol A., George S.Z., Chmielewski T.L. Fear of reinjury in athletes. Sports Health. 2017;9(2):162–167. - PMC - PubMed