Article

Due to health and social advantages, the popularity of running among
mature female runners is expanding steadily. However, the incidence of running
injuries and associated conditions is vast among this group. This study aimed to
quantify gait parameters of mature and younger female runners to assess whether
certain running characteristics predispose to debilitating conditions. It was
hypothesised that mature females would exhibit greater rearfoot eversion, knee
internal rotation, knee external adductor moments and loading rate of ground
reaction force when compared to younger runners. METHODS: Fifteen mature (40-60
years) and 15 young (18-24 years) females performed 10 running trials at 3.5 m
s(-1) in the biomechanics laboratory. Both kinematic and ground reaction force
data were collected. Signs of osteoarthritis and knee injuries were assessed
using the Knee Osteoarthritis Observation Survey (KOOS) scale. FINDINGS: Mature
females produced significantly higher peak rearfoot eversion, knee internal
rotation, external adductor moment and loading rate of ground reaction force
compared to the young participants (p<0.05). INTERPRETATIONS: Although all
participants recorded "symptom free" on the KOOS scale, all variables of gait
found higher among the mature group have previously been associated with
development of overuse injuries and debilitating conditions, suggesting a
possible predisposition towards these conditions among the mature group.
CI - Crown Copyright (c) 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS