Abstract
Purpose: Given the high incidence of patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) in runners, this study aimed to investigate the immediate effect of shoes with different minimalist indices (MI) on the mechanical loads of the patellofemoral joint. Methods: Fifteen healthy male rearfoot strike runners were recruited to complete overground running trials at 3.33 m/s (±5%) in two running shoe conditions (MI = 26% versus MI = 86%). The amount of ten Vicon infrared cameras (100 Hz) and two Kistler force plates (1000 Hz) were used to collect kinematic and ground reaction force (GRF) data simultaneously. Quadriceps strength, patellofemoral contact force, patellofemoral contact area, and patellofemoral contact stress were calculated. Results: No significant differences were observed in the impact force and the second peak of the vertical GRF between the two shoe conditions. Compared to wearing low-MI shoes, wearing high-MI shoes showed that the maximum flexion angle of the knee, the contact area of patellofemoral joint and the peak knee extension moment reduced significantly (p < 0.01), and the peak patellofemoral contact force and stress decreased significantly (p < 0.05). Conclusion: These findings suggest that wearing high-MI shoes significantly decreases the patellofemoral contact force and patellofemoral joint stress by reducing the moment of knee extension, thus effectively reducing the load of the patellofemoral joint during the stance phase of running and potentially lowering the risk of PFPS.
Highlights
Hundreds of millions of citizens participate in sports, among which running is widely known.Injury remains high with the popularity of running, with 19.4% to 79.3% sustaining a running-related injury annually [1]; patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is one of the most common running injuries, exhibiting the highest incidence of 17% in the specific pathologies of running-related injuries [2].Increased patellofemoral joint stress (PFJS) was determined as an important pathogenic factor [3].The knee joint features a complex structure; the soft tissue and muscles maintain the stability of the tibia [4]
With the Minimalist Index (MI) 86% shoes, the foot inclination angle significantly reduced by 35.6% (p < 0.05)
The peak knee flexion angle and the peak contact area of the patellofemoral joint were significantly the peak knee flexion angle and the peak contact area of the patellofemoral joint were significantly lower than those with the MI 26% shoes, in which the peak knee flexion angle decreased by 6.5% and lower than those with the MI 26% shoes, in which the peak knee flexion angle decreased by 6.5% and the peak contact area of the patellofemoral joint reduced by 5.4% (p < 0.05) (Table 2)
Summary
Hundreds of millions of citizens participate in sports, among which running is widely known.Injury remains high with the popularity of running, with 19.4% to 79.3% sustaining a running-related injury annually [1]; patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is one of the most common running injuries, exhibiting the highest incidence of 17% in the specific pathologies of running-related injuries [2].Increased patellofemoral joint stress (PFJS) was determined as an important pathogenic factor [3].The knee joint features a complex structure; the soft tissue and muscles maintain the stability of the tibia [4]. Injury remains high with the popularity of running, with 19.4% to 79.3% sustaining a running-related injury annually [1]; patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is one of the most common running injuries, exhibiting the highest incidence of 17% in the specific pathologies of running-related injuries [2]. Increased patellofemoral joint stress (PFJS) was determined as an important pathogenic factor [3]. The knee joint features a complex structure; the soft tissue and muscles maintain the stability of the tibia [4]. Any change in mechanics may influence the force distribution around the patellofemoral joint. Studies have shown that patients with patellofemoral joint pain exhibit different biomechanical characteristics during running [5]. Changes in knee joint torque, patellofemoral contact force and stress during this activity may affect the risk of PFPS.
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