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Association Between Running Characteristics and Lower Extremity Musculoskeletal Injuries in United States Military
Gary L Helton1, Kenneth L Cameron2,3, Donald L Goss4
1Moncrief Army Health Clinic, Fort Jackson, South Carolina, USA.
Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine
|January 22, 2025
Summary
Longer ground contact times and shorter stride lengths in running increase the risk of lower extremity overuse injuries. These running characteristics are key factors in preventing musculoskeletal injuries (MSKI) in runners.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Biomechanics
- Injury Prevention
Background:
- Running-related overuse injuries are prevalent in recreational runners.
- Prospective research on running characteristics and overuse injury development is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between running characteristics and lower extremity musculoskeletal injury (MSKI).
Main Methods:
- A cohort study of 827 US Military Academy cadets.
- Recorded running spatiotemporal parameters (stride length, ground contact time, cadence) and foot-strike pattern.
- Documented lower extremity MSKIs over 9 weeks of basic training and analyzed using survival analysis and Cox regression.
Main Results:
- 18.1% of participants sustained a lower extremity MSKI.
- Shortest stride length (<133.0 cm) was associated with a 45% higher risk of overuse MSKI.
- Longest ground contact time (>0.42 seconds) was associated with a 2.15 times higher risk of overuse MSKI after adjusting for covariates.
Conclusions:
- Longer ground contact times significantly increase the risk of overuse lower extremity MSKI.
- Shorter stride length is also linked to a higher likelihood of developing overuse MSKI.
- Foot-strike pattern and cadence did not show a significant association with MSKI risk.
