Running towards injury? A prospective investigation of factors associated with running injuries.

Background: Given the high incidence and heavy burden of running related injuries, large-scale, prospective multifactorial investigations examining potential risk factors are warranted. This study aimed to identify factors associated with running related injuries and to evaluate their potential in injury screening.

Study Design: Prospective cohort study.

Aetiological Factors of Running-Related Injuries: A 12 Month Prospective "Running Injury Surveillance Centre" (RISC) Study.

Background: Running-related injuries (RRIs) are a prevalent issue for runners, with several factors proposed to be causative. The majority of studies to date are limited by retrospective study design, small sample sizes and seem to focus on individual risk factors in isolation. This study aims to investigate the multifactorial contribution of risk factors to prospective RRIs.

Movement Variability and Loading Characteristics in Athletes With Athletic Groin Pain: Changes After Successful Return to Play and Compared With Uninjured Athletes.

Background: Athletic groin pain (AGP) can lead to altered movement patterns during rapid deceleration and acceleration. However, the effect of AGP on movement variability and loading patterns during such actions remains less clear.

Purpose: To investigate, using a continuous lateral hurdle hop task, how movement variability and magnitude measures of 3-dimensional (3D) kinematic, kinetic, and vertical ground-reaction force (vGRF) variables are (1) affected by AGP (AGP vs uninjured controls [CON]) and (2) changed after successful rehabilitation (AGP prerehabilitation vs AGP postrehabilitation vs CON).

Are impact accelerations during treadmill running representative of those produced overground?

Background: Although many runners train overground, measuring impact accelerations on a treadmill may be advantageous for researchers and clinicians. Previous investigations of peak and rate of acceleration (peak, rate) during treadmill running compared to overground running have not examined both the relative consistency and absolute agreement of these measures, or the effect of treadmill stiffness.

Research Question: (1) Are peak and rate produced during running on a stiff and less stiff treadmill 'representative' of those produced during overground running? (2) Are peak and rate measured on treadmills of different stiffness 'representative' of each other?

Methods: Eighteen participants ran at a self-selected pace on three surfaces: Treadmill 1 (reduced stiffness), Treadmill 2 (increased stiffness) and overground on asphalt, whilst peak and rate were recorded at the shank and lower back.

Comparison of impact accelerations between injury-resistant and recently injured recreational runners.

Introduction/purpose: Previous injury has consistently been shown to be one of the greatest risk factors for running-related injuries (RRIs). Runners returning to participation following injury may still demonstrate injury-related mechanics (e.g.

Relative and absolute reliability of shank and sacral running impact accelerations over a short- and long-term time frame.

Whilst running is hugely popular, running-related injuries (RRIs) are prevalent. High impact loading has been proposed to contribute to RRIs, with accelerometers becoming increasingly popular in estimating segmental loading for injury detection and biofeedback training. However, there is a lack of research examining the reliability of measures of impact acceleration across short- and long-term time periods, both prior to and following exerted running.

Risk Factors for Injuries in Runners: A Systematic Review of Foot Strike Technique and Its Classification at Impact.

Background: It has been suggested that foot strike technique (FST) at initial contact is related to running-related injuries (RRIs).

Purpose: To explore the relationship between FST and RRIs.

Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 3.

Hip Muscle Strength Explains Only 11% of the Improvement in HAGOS With an Intersegmental Approach to Successful Rehabilitation of Athletic Groin Pain.

Background: Exercise-based rehabilitation targeting intersegmental control has high success rates and fast recovery times in the management of athletic groin pain (AGP). The influence of this approach on hip strength and lower limb reactive strength and how these measures compare with uninjured athletes (CON) remain unknown. Additionally, the efficacy of this program after return to play (RTP) has not been examined.

Do Injury-Resistant Runners Have Distinct Differences in Clinical Measures Compared with Recently Injured Runners?

Introduction: Although lower extremity muscle strength, joint motion, and functional foot alignment are commonly used, time-efficient clinical measures that have been proposed as risk factors for running-related injuries, it is unclear if these factors can distinguish injury resistance in runners.

Purpose: This study compares clinical measures, with consideration of sex, between recently injured runners (3 months to 1 yr prior), those with a high level of injury resistance who have been uninjured for at least 2 yr, and never-injured runners.

Methods: Averaged bilateral values and between-limb symmetry angles of lower limb isometric muscle strength, joint motion, navicular drop, and foot posture index (FPI) were assessed in a cohort of recreational runners, and their injury history was recorded.

Athletic groin pain patients and healthy athletes demonstrate consistency in their movement strategy selection when performing multiple repetitions of a change of direction test.

Objectives: To report the consistency in movement strategy selection in athletic groin pain patients and to assess whether there are differences in consistency between athletic groin pain patients and healthy athletes.

Design: Cross sectional exploratory study.

Methods: Twenty athletic groin pain patients and 21 healthy athletes performed 15 repetitions of 110° change of direction task.

The Number of Trials Required to Obtain a Representative Movement Pattern During a Hurdle Hop Exercise.

When reporting a subject's mean movement pattern, it is important to ensure that reported values are representative of the subject's typical movement. While previous studies have used the mean of 3 trials, scientific justification of this number is lacking. One approach is to determine statistically how many trials are required to achieve a representative mean.

Biomechanical symmetry in elite rugby union players during dynamic tasks: an investigation using discrete and continuous data analysis techniques.

Background: While measures of asymmetry may provide a means of identifying individuals predisposed to injury, normative asymmetry values for challenging sport specific movements in elite athletes are currently lacking in the literature. In addition, previous studies have typically investigated symmetry using discrete point analyses alone. This study examined biomechanical symmetry in elite rugby union players using both discrete point and continuous data analysis techniques.