Department of Public Health

TY - JOUR

T1 - Associations between biomechanical and clinical/anthropometrical factors and running-related injuries among recreational runners

T2 - A 52-week prospective cohort study

AU - Jungmalm, Jonatan

AU - Nielsen, Rasmus Østergaard

AU - Desai, Pia

AU - Karlsson, Jon

AU - Hein, Tobias

AU - Grau, Stefan

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - Background: The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate whether runners with certain biomechanical or clinical/anthropometrical characteristics sustain more running-related injuries than runners with other biomechanical or clinical/anthropometrical characteristics. Methods: The study was designed as a prospective cohort with 52-weeks follow-up. A total of 224 injury-free, recreational runners were recruited from the Gothenburg Half Marathon and tested at baseline. The primary exposure variables were biomechanical and clinical/anthropometrical measures, including strength, lower extremity kinematics, joint range of motion, muscle flexibility, and trigger points. The primary outcome measure was any running-related injury diagnosed by a medical practitioner. Cumulative risk difference was used as measure of association. A shared frailty approach was used with legs as the unit of interest. A total of 448 legs were included in the analyses. Results: The cumulative injury incidence proportion for legs was 29.0% (95%CI = 24.0%; 34.8%). A few biomechanical and clinical/anthropometrical factors influence the number of running-related injuries sustained in recreational runners. Runners with a late timing of maximal eversion sustained 20.7% (95%CI = 1.3; 40.0) more injuries, and runners with weak abductors in relation to adductors sustained 17.3% (95%CI = 0.8; 33.7) more injuries, compared with the corresponding reference group. Conclusions: More injuries are likely to occur in runners with late timing of maximal eversion or weak hip abductors in relation to hip adductors.

AB - Background: The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate whether runners with certain biomechanical or clinical/anthropometrical characteristics sustain more running-related injuries than runners with other biomechanical or clinical/anthropometrical characteristics. Methods: The study was designed as a prospective cohort with 52-weeks follow-up. A total of 224 injury-free, recreational runners were recruited from the Gothenburg Half Marathon and tested at baseline. The primary exposure variables were biomechanical and clinical/anthropometrical measures, including strength, lower extremity kinematics, joint range of motion, muscle flexibility, and trigger points. The primary outcome measure was any running-related injury diagnosed by a medical practitioner. Cumulative risk difference was used as measure of association. A shared frailty approach was used with legs as the unit of interest. A total of 448 legs were included in the analyses. Results: The cumulative injury incidence proportion for legs was 29.0% (95%CI = 24.0%; 34.8%). A few biomechanical and clinical/anthropometrical factors influence the number of running-related injuries sustained in recreational runners. Runners with a late timing of maximal eversion sustained 20.7% (95%CI = 1.3; 40.0) more injuries, and runners with weak abductors in relation to adductors sustained 17.3% (95%CI = 0.8; 33.7) more injuries, compared with the corresponding reference group. Conclusions: More injuries are likely to occur in runners with late timing of maximal eversion or weak hip abductors in relation to hip adductors.

KW - Joint range of motion

KW - Kinematics

KW - Muscle flexibility

KW - Muscle strength

KW - Risk factors

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85083012849&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1186/s40621-020-00237-2

DO - 10.1186/s40621-020-00237-2

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 32234070

AN - SCOPUS:85083012849

VL - 7

JO - Injury epidemiology

JF - Injury epidemiology

SN - 2197-1714

IS - 1

M1 - 10

ER -