A Prospective Study on Gait-related Intrinsic Risk Factors for Patellofemoral Pain.

Thijs, Youri; Tiggelen, Damien Van; Roosen, Philip; Clercq, Dirk De Witvrouw, Erik

The objective of this study was to prospectively determine gait-related risk factors for patellofemoral pain.  Eighty-four officer cadets who entered the Military Academy and were without a history of any knee or lower-leg complaints, participated in the study.  Before the start of 6-week basic military training period, plantar pressure measurements during walking were performed and patellofemoral complaints were recorded during training. The authors concluded that the findings suggest that the feet of the persons who developed anterior knee pain have a heel strike in a less pronated position and roll over more on the lateral side compared with the control group. The results of this study can be considered valuable in identifying persons at risk for patellofemoral pain.

Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 2007, 17(6), 437-445

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