Effects of landing pattern modification in runners with patellofemoral pain : a case series with 3 months of follow-up

INTRODUCTION: Seventy-five percent of runners strike the ground with a rearfoot strike (RFS) pattern. This landing pattern results in a very distinct vertical impact peak (VIP) that is associated with high rates of loading. These impacts have shown to be related to stress fractures in runners in the past. More recently, RFS runners with a history of PFPS also exhibited increased impacts. It has been demonstrated that runners with a midfoot (MFS) or forefoot (FFS) strike pattern have significantly lower VIP (15.7%) and rates of loading (12.7%-12.9%). Therefore, the purpose of this preliminary study was to examine whether gait retraining aimed at altering footstrike pattern could reduce impacts, as well as symptoms, in runners with PFPS.