Anterior tibial compartment pressures during running with rearfoot and forefoot landing styles

Elevated compartment pressure is the central feature of exercise-induced anterior tibial compartment syndrome. The compartment pressures of 17 legs of 14 subjects were continuously monitored with the solid state transducer intracompartmental (STIC) catheter system while they ran on a treadmill. The subjects ran with relaxed, rearfoot and forefoot landing styles, confirmed with videotape records and wafer footswitches at heel and toe. In 24 of 34 comparisons, anterior tibial compartment systolic pressures were significantly influenced by landing style. The changes were consistent in direction and magnitude within, but not among, subjects. These findings may have implications for the design of footwear and for the training regimens of patients with exercise-induced anterior tibial compartment syndrome.