Rearfoot strike

The effects of a 12-week gait retraining program on the adaptation of the medial gastrocnemius (MG) and muscle-tendon unit (MTU) were investigated. 26 runners with a rearfoot strike pattern (RFS) were randomly assigned to one of two groups: gait retraining (GR) or control group (CON). MG ultrasound images, marker positions, and ground reaction forces (GRF) were collected twice during 9 km/h of treadmill running before and after the intervention. Ankle kinetics and the MG and MTU behavior and dynamics were quantified...

BACKGROUND: Two biomechanical mechanisms for the development of Achilles tendinopathy in runners have been proposed: A whipping mechanism characterized by prolonged and excessive rearfoot eversion, and a tearing mechanism characterized by high eccentric plantar flexor forces. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if runners with and without a history of Achilles tendinopathy exhibited gait biomechanics consistent with either of these mechanisms. METHODS: Seven male runners with previous or current Achilles tendinopathy and seven healthy male control runners were evaluated by three-dimensional gait analysis...

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the effects of 12-week gait retraining (GR) on plantar flexion torque, architecture, and behavior of the medial gastrocnemius (MG) during maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC). METHODS: Thirty healthy male rearfoot strikers were randomly assigned to the GR group ( n = 15) and the control (CON) group ( n = 15). The GR group was instructed to wear minimalist shoes and run with a forefoot strike pattern for the 12-week GR (3 times per week), whereas the CON group wore their own running shoes and ran with their original foot strike pattern...

Foot pronation is a prevalent condition known to contribute to a range of lower extremity injuries. Numerous interventions have been employed to address this issue, many of which are expensive and necessitate specific facilities. Gait retraining has been suggested as a promising intervention for modifying foot pronation, offering the advantage of being accessible and independent of additional materials or specific time. We aimed to systematically review the literature on the effect of gait retraining on foot pronation...

This research investigates the stabilization of leg length and orientation during the landing phase of running, examining the effects of different footwear and foot strike patterns. Analyzing kinematic data from twenty male long-distance runners, both rearfoot and forefoot strikers, we utilized the Uncontrolled Manifold approach to assess stability. Findings reveal that both leg length and orientation are indeed stabilized during landing, challenging the hypothesis that rearfoot strikers exhibit less variance in deviations than forefoot strikers, and that increased footwear assistance would reduce these deviations...

BACKGROUND: Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is among the most common injuries in runners. While multiple risk factors for patellofemoral pain have been investigated, the interactions of variables contributing to this condition have not been explored. This study aimed to classify runners with patellofemoral pain using a combination of factors including biomechanical, anthropometric, and demographic factors through a Classification and Regression Tree analysis. RESULTS: Thirty-eight runners with PFP and 38 healthy controls (CON) were selected with mean (standard deviation) age 33 (16) years old and body mass index 22...

Loud footsteps from upstairs cause disturbance to downstairs neighbours in multi-story residential buildings. In this experiment, we examined how participants walk when asked to walk quietly and evaluated the efficiency of their quiet walking patterns. Changes in vertical impact loading rates during the early stance phase, walking speed, and lower limb muscle activity when asked to walk quietly were evaluated from twenty-six young participants. Study data show that participants who struck the ground with the rearfoot reduced the impact loading rate by 44...

Fatigue has the potential to alter how impact forces are absorbed during running, heightening the risk of injury. Conflicting findings exist regarding alterations in both kinematics and plantar pressure. Thus, this systematic review and subsequent meta-analysis were conducted to investigate the impact of general and localized muscle fatigue on kinematics and plantar pressure distribution during running. Initial searches were executed on 30 November 2021 and updated on 29 April 2023, encompassing PubMed, The Cochrane Library, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science without imposing any restrictions on publication dates or employing additional filters...

BACKGROUND: Combined knee valgus and tibial internal rotation (VL + IR) moments have been shown to stress the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in several in vitro cadaveric studies. To utilize this knowledge for non-contact ACL injury prevention in sports, it is necessary to elucidate how the ground reaction force (GRF) acting point (center of pressure, CoP) in the stance foot produces combined knee VL + IR moments in risky maneuvers, such as cuttings. However, the effects of the GRF acting point on the development of the combined knee VL + IR moment in cutting are still unknown...

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the effect of foot strike patterns and cadences in male runners with patellofemoral pain (PFP). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Biomechanics lab. METHODS: 20 male runners with PFP were instructed to randomly complete six running conditions (three cadence conditions in rearfoot strike pattern (RFS) or forefoot strike (FFS)) under a preferred running speed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcomes were peak knee joint and moment, and secondary outcomes were patellofemoral joint stress...

INTRODUCTION: Running-related injuries are prevalent in the military and are often related to physical fitness test training. Non-rearfoot striking while running is known to increase the risk of Achilles tendon injuries because of the high eccentric energy absorption by the elastic components of the planarflexor muscle-tendon complex. However, there is limited evidence to suggest benefits of converting runners with Achilles tendon pain to use a rearfoot strike. METHODS: This is a case series of two active-duty Service members with chronic, running-related Achilles tendon pain that utilized a natural non-rearfoot strike pattern...

Military service members (SMs) demonstrate high rates of patellofemoral chondral defects (PFCDs) that are difficult to diagnosis and, if untreated, result in a cascade of events eventually leading to osteoarthritis. Running is an essential occupational task for SMs; however, there is little evidence regarding techniques to maintain running ability in individuals with cartilage defects. The purpose of this case series was to assess the clinical application of foot strike run retraining in patients with PFCDs...

BACKGROUND: Transitioning to a forefoot strike pattern can be used to manage running-related knee injuries. However, adopting a nonrearfoot strike induces a higher load on foot and ankle structures than rearfoot strike. Sufficient foot muscle strength is also necessary to prevent excessive longitudinal arch (LA) deformation when running with nonrearfoot strike. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential differences in foot-ankle muscle strength between RF and NRF runners. METHODS: A cross-sectional study including 40 RF and 40 NRF runners was conducted...

INTRODUCTION: Running is the most common cardiovascular exercise in the military. However, there is a high incidence of running-related overuse injuries that reduces military readiness. Gait retraining is a common intervention to treat running-related injuries, but the high cost of equipment and lack of clinician expertise and availability reduces utilization. Gait retraining intervention in a telehealth format might improve feasibility. The purpose of this randomized clinical trial is to determine the effectiveness of a telehealth gait retraining intervention on pain, self-reported function, and biomechanical risk factors for injury in service members who present to a Military Health System physical therapy clinic with an overuse knee injury...

PURPOSE: This study investigated the effects of a 12-week gait retraining program on the morphological and mechanical properties of the Achilles tendon (AT) during running on the basis of real-time dynamic ultrasound imaging. METHODS: A total of 30 male recreational runners who were used to wearing cushioned shoes with a rearfoot strike (RFS) pattern were recruited. They were randomized into a retraining group (RG, n = 15) and a control group (CG, n = 15)...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in the morphological and viscoelastic properties of the Achilles tendon (AT) among different groups (rearfoot strikers vs. forefoot strikers vs. non-runners). Thirty healthy men were recruited, including habitual forefoot strike runners ( n = 10), rearfoot strike runners ( n = 10), and individuals with no running habits ( n = 10). The AT morphological properties (cross-sectional area and length) were captured by using an ultrasound device. The real-time ultrasound video of displacement changes at the medial head of the gastrocnemius and the AT junction during maximal voluntary isometric contraction and the plantar flexion moment of the ankle was obtained simultaneously by connecting the ultrasound device and isokinetic dynamometer via an external synchronisation box...

Existing studies on the biomechanical characteristics of the first metatarsophalangeal joint (1st MTPJ) during shod running are limited to sagittal plane assessment and rely on skin marker motion capture, which can be affected by shoes wrapping around the 1st MTPJ and may lead to inaccurate results. This study aims to investigate the in vivo effects of different habitual foot strike patterns (FSP) on the six degrees of freedom (6DOF) values of the 1st MTPJ under shod condition by utilizing a dual-fluoroscopic imaging system (DFIS)...

We aimed to investigate the initial foot contact and contact time in experienced endurance runners at individualized speeds, in running shoes and barefoot. Forty-eight participants (33.71±7.49 y, 70.94±8.65 kg, 175.07±7.03 cm, maximum aerobic speed 18.41±1.54 km. h-1 ) were distributed into three groups according to athletic performance: highly-trained runners, middle-trained runners, and control group. An incremental running test until exhaustion was performed for assessing maximum aerobic speed...

This study aims to determine the validity of the lower extremity joint kinematics measured by inertial measurement units (IMUs) in non-rearfoot strike pattern (NRFS) runners across different speeds. Fifteen NRFS runners completed three 2-min running tests on a treadmill in random order at 8, 10 and 12 km/h, whilst data were synchronously collected using the IMU system and an optical motion capture system. Before the offset was corrected, the validity of the knee angle waveform was higher than that of the hip and ankle; after the offset was corrected, the validity increased in all three joints...

This study aims to quantify how habitual foot strike patterns would affect ankle kinetics and the behavior and mechanics of the medial gastrocnemius-tendon unit (MTU) during running. A total of 14 runners with non-rearfoot strike patterns (NRFS) and 15 runners with rearfoot strike patterns (RFS) ran on an instrumented treadmill at a speed of 9 km/h. An ultrasound system and a motion capture system were synchronously triggered to collect the ultrasound images of the medial gastrocnemius (MG) and marker positions along with ground reaction forces (GRF) during running...