The hip anatomical alignment and flexibility
There are very few scientific proofs about the reliability and validity of hip and pelvic alignment measures. A longer or shorter leg has often been pointed out as having an impact on biomechanics and joint injury. From the literature, a leg length discrepancy – LLD – has to be over 20mm, measured on an X-ray. […]
Assessing hip mechanics for runners
Over the past 20 years, the hip joint has been focused as a key injury predictor. When the knee flexes, internally rotates and abducts during the first half of stance, the hip works in a similar fashion. After heel strike and during the first third of the stance the hip flexes then undergoes almost full […]
The importance of our knee muscles flexibility
There is a hole in scientific research when assessing our knee muscles. While the quadriceps and hamstrings have been studied quite extensively, others, like the IT band, our adductors, and sartorius have an unknown contribution to the gait mechanics. The flexibility of the hamstring – the back of our thigh – seems to be critical […]
The anatomical alignment of the knee
It has been discussed for a long time that our pelvis/hip structure may influence the running-related injury rate. An increase of the Q-angle – the angle between the femoral bone and a vertical line – has often been described as a risk factor, putting more load on the outside part of the kneecap. Science […]
The basics of running knee biomechanics
During foot pronation, with the rearfoot fixed to the ground, your leg will usually follow the movement of your upper ankle. It means that the tibia – leg bone – being tightly locked with the talus – ankle bone -, we see a medial move of the ankle – adduction -, an internal rotation of […]
Foot orthotics and running
Foot orthotics have been proven to help with the treatment of running-related musculoskeletal injuries. 70 to 80% of people with chronic knee injuries get substantial benefits from such items. While several studies have shown a good amount of help with pain control, we do not really understand why the orthotics help so much. The mechanism […]
Foot mechanics #2
During the first half of the stance, the midfoot and the forefoot do the majority of the work, in comparison to the rearfoot. The natural movement associated with the rearfoot eversion is a combination of vertical and medial midfoot displacement. This means that a tight arch will have you compensate with the rearfoot. The arch […]
Foot mechanics #1
Starting to talk about the foot makes perfect sense. It all starts from here. Every time you land on the foot, the ground reaction force initiates there and moves up the kinematic chain. The first half of running gait is referred to as an eccentric or cushioning phase, while the second half is referred to […]
The second most common knee pain for runners
Iliotibial band syndrome Iliotibial band syndrome or ITBS is the second most common knee pain with runners and the most common one on the lateral side of the knee. It has been suggested that the frictional forces between the ITB and the lateral femoral condyle/bone are the highest at 20-30 degrees of knee flexion. This […]
The first and most common knee pain for runners
Patellofemoral pain syndrome Introduction Patellofemoral pain syndrome or PFPS is one of the most common injuries in running and jumping. It accounts for half to two-thirds of running-related knee pain. Despite being so common, its cause remains vague and discussed. The onset is often insidious, located around the kneecap. No specific cause has been constantly […]
