Riassunto dello studio

Thirty runners with patellofemoral pain were randomized to receive gait retraining focusing on impact (n=10) or cadence (n=10), or to a control group (n=10) receiving no intervention. The primary outcomes of interest were usual and running pain, and secondary outcomes included knee function, and lower limb kinematics such as contralateral pelvic drop, hip adduction, knee flexion, ankle dorsiflexion, tibia inclination, and foot inclination. Outcomes were assessed for up to six months. Overall, the results of the study revealed significant improvements in running pain and knee function in the gait retraining groups compared to the control group, particularly evident six months post-intervention. Conclusively, both gait retraining programs were more effective than no intervention in improving pain and function, suggesting their potential utility in managing patellofemoral pain in runners.