Anterior knee pain in runners after a half-marathon race

Abstract

BackgroundAnterior knee pain has been associated with sports activity, especially long-distance running and endurance sports. It is important to determine the incidence of anterior knee pain (AKP) in runners after a half-marathon race and identify possible risk factors associated. MethodsCross-sectional study where runners from a half marathon race were randomly invited to participate. Participants were recruited at the race kit pickup site the day before the race. Eligible participants completed a survey regarding demographic information, running experience and training details. An orthopedic surgeon performed a physical examination and recorded the medical history. At the finish line, the participants were evaluated again for possible new injuries. ResultsA total of 205 runners were included in the study, with a 98.5% follow-up rate (n = 203). 24% of runners had an injury at the end of the race (n = 49). Anterior knee pain was the most frequent injury (n = 12), followed by iliotibial band syndrome (n = 10), muscle cramps (n = 7) and hamstring tears (n = 4). Anterior knee pain had a statistically significant association with insufficient stretching of the hamstrings (p = 0.048) and finishing the race in more than 2 h (p = 0.014). ConclusionsAnterior knee pain was the most frequent new injury in the half-marathon runners after the competition. Spending more than 2 h to finish the race and stretching the hamstrings by less than 70° in the supine position were risk factors for anterior knee pain.