There is no difference in footstrike pattern distribution in recreational runners with or without anterior knee pain

There are no studies comparing footstrike pattern distribution between recreational runners with or without anterior knee pain.

The aim of this study was to investigate if there was any difference in footstrike pattern between recreational runners with or without anterior knee pain.

This cross-sectional study involved 62 runners without anterior knee pain and 60 runners with anterior knee pain. We recruited runners in public parks and amateur road running competitions. A 2D record was made using a high-speed camera with an acquisition frequency of 300 Hz and shutter speed of 300^s-1. Also, demographic information, running characteristics, knee pain characteristics, and running biomechanics variables were collected. Besides the footstrike pattern, running step length, mean velocity, footstrike angle, and ankle push-off were evaluated.

The distribution of rearfoot strike pattern was similar between groups, observed in 96.6 % of the subjects with anterior knee pain and in 93.5 % of the subjects without it. In the secondary analysis, a logistic regression was conducted, and none of the demographic information, running training characteristics, and running biomechanics variables evaluated in this study were associated with runners presenting knee pain.

Runners with or without anterior knee pain do not differ in regard to footstrike pattern. Both groups had predominantly rearfoot strike patterns, and none of the collected variables were associated with anterior knee pain on runners.