Twelve-Week Gait Retraining Reduced Patellofemoral Joint Stress during Running in Male Recreational Runners

Abstract

Purpose. To explore the changes in knee sagittal angle and moment and patellofemoral joint (PFJ) force and stress before and after 12-week gait retraining. Methods. A total of 30 healthy male recreational runners were randomized into a control group (n=15) who ran in their original strike pattern using minimalist shoes or experimental group (n=15) who ran in a forefoot strike pattern using minimalist shoes during the 12-week gait retraining. The kinematic and kinetic data of the dominant leg of the participants during the 12 km/h running were collected by 3D motion capture systems and 3D force platforms. Besides, the biomechanical property of the PFJ was calculated on the basis of the joint force model and the regression equation of the contact area. Results. After the 12-week gait retraining, 78% of the rearfoot strikers turned into forefoot strikers. Peak knee extension moment and peak PFJ stress decreased by 13.8% and 13.3% without altering the running speed, respectively. Meanwhile, no changes in maximum knee flexion angle/extension moment and PFJ force/stress were observed for the control group. Conclusion. The 12-week gait retraining effectively reduced the PFJ stress, thereby providing a potential means of reducing the risk of patellofemoral pain syndrome while running.

Changes in the Plantar Flexion Torque of the Ankle and in the Morphological Characteristics and Mechanical Properties of the Achilles Tendon after 12-Week Gait Retraining

“…For the GR group, the participants were asked to wear minimalist shoes and ran outdoor with the FFS at a moderate self-selected speed during training. The FFS referred to the initial metatarsal ball of the forefoot contact followed by the contact of the rest of the foot [ 15 ]; in this running style, the feet were placed below the hip during ground contact [ 18 ]. The training intervention lasted for 12 weeks, and the training sessions were executed three times per week.…”

“…During the GR intervention, foot and ankle exercises (i.e., heel raises, short foot exercise, and towel curl exercise) were encouraged to be conducted before each GR session as a warm-up exercise to prevent injuries for participants in the GR group. The detailed training plan and supervision methods can be found in our previous studies [ 18 , 19 ].…”

May the force be with you: understanding how patellofemoral joint reaction force compares across different activities and physical interventions—a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…The full text of 227 studies was retrieved and screened (figure 2). In total, 71 articles were included in the systematic review 25–95. There were 63 within-subject studies (56 healthy individuals, 7 patellofemoral pain), 1 randomised controlled trial in healthy individuals (online supplemental table 2) and…”

“…We identified 27 studies that reported PFJRF during running 25 26 34 35 38 39 50 52 56–59 61 68 69 74–76 78 80–82 87 90 91 93 94. Pooled peak PFJRF in healthy individuals was 5.2±1.2 BW25 35 38 39 52 56–58 61 68 74 80–82 87 90 94 based on 17 studies and 4.1±0.9 BW in individuals with patellofemoral pain34 38 78 based on three studies during running (figure 3). The average running speed ranged from 2.33 m/s to 4.47 m/s in healthy individuals and 2.77 m/s to 4.00 m/s in individuals with patellofemoral pain.…”

Effects of a 12-week gait retraining program combined with foot core exercise on morphology, muscle strength, and kinematics of the arch: A randomized controlled trial

“…For the subsequent 11 weeks, the INT group underwent centralized training on an indoor track on our campus once a week. The foot core exercise protocol was based on previous literature and previous results of our team, and it had shown to be effective in enhancing foot muscles and potentially reducing the risk of injury ( Warne et al, 2014 ; Ridge et al, 2019 ; Wang B et al, 2020 ; Zhang et al, 2021 ). It included heel raises, towel curls, foot doming, toe spread, balance board, and foot relaxation exercises by stepping on a tennis ball with progressive intensity ( Table 1 ).…”