[Arthrosis of the lower limb and running]

In order to assess whether running training for many years predisposes to arthrosis in the lower limbs, the hips, knees and ankle joints of 30 runners who began running training at the beginning of the nineteen fifties were examined. Three of these runners were no longer active. One of these had given up late in the nineteen seventies on account of arthroses in the upper and lower limbs i.e. changes which can scarecely be attributed to the stresses of running. The remaining 27 (90%) had run 20-40 km/week throughout 40 years. Subjective, objective and radiological data were compared with data from 27 non-active control persons who were comparable as regards age, weight/height and occupational stress with the runners. We found no differences in joint mobility, axial deviations or complaints of pain between the two groups. Radiologically, the distances between the osseous joint surfaces in the hip and ankle joints and the degrees of degeneration in the knees were assessed according to Ahlback's classification without any differences being found between the groups. Our results suggest that running training to a moderate extent for many years does not predispose to arthrosis in the lower limbs in healthy individuals.