The most common knee injuries and other running injuries

Running is one of the most popular sports in the world. All you need is a good pair of shoes and you can get started anywhere. It is a very effective way to improve your fitness or lose a few kilos. Unfortunately, it also comes with frequent injuries, mainly to the joints (the knee is the most frequently injured), muscles and lower back.

Summary:

1. A high incidence of injury among runners: up to half of all runners face running-related injuries every year, and at any given moment a quarter of all active runners are being treated for some kind of injury;
2. The most common injuries: the most common running injuries affect the knee (26 %), the ankle (19 %) and the lower leg (16.5 %), with specific diagnoses such as runner's knee, Achilles tendon injury and shin splints;
3. Predisposition to injury: there are factors that can predispose a runner to a higher risk of injury. These factors include deviations in the structure of the arch of the foot, a faulty foot strike and weakness of some of the muscles of the lower limb;
4. Injury prevention: to prevent running injuries it is important to warm up and stretch thoroughly before running, to have good shoes, possibly orthopaedic insoles for those with problems with the arch of the foot, correct running technique and a gradual increase in running distance;
5. Do not increase your distance without thinking: most injuries, specifically up to 72%, happen because of running distances for which the runner's musculoskeletal system is not yet sufficiently trained. It is important to listen to your own body and not to run through pain.

Did you know that half of all runners suffer a running-related injury every year? At any single moment in the year, about a quarter of active runners are being treated for an injury. Between 70 and 80 % of injuries are most likely caused by constant overloading of the musculoskeletal system while running or by excessive pronation or supination of the foot.¹

The most frequently injured joints and the most common diagnoses

Many studies carried out on runners have brought together data on how often and which parts of the body are most frequently injured. The studies were carried out on runners of both sexes, of different ages and weights and with different running distances. Below we give the order of the most frequently injured joints and the specific diagnoses. For clarity, we write about the individual injuries in separate articles.²

26 % - Knee injuries

• Runner's knee (patellofemoral pain syndrome)
• Iliotibial band syndrome
• Meniscus tear
• Patellar tendinopathy

Read more about all types of knee injuries from running, the origin of the injury, the method and length of treatment, along with tips for recovery.

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19 % - Ankle injuries

• Achilles tendon injury
• Sprained ankle

Read more about Achilles tendon injury and sprained ankle, the origin of the injury, the method and length of treatment, along with tips for recovery.

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16.5 % - Lower leg injuries

• Shin splints
• Strains and other injuries of the lower leg muscles
• Calf muscle strain

Read more about lower limb injuries from running between the knee and the ankle. You will find out why and above all where runners get shin pain, along with the length of treatment and tips for recovery.

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13.5 % - Foot injuries

• Heel pain and heel spur (plantar fasciitis)

Read more about heel and foot pain from running and the possible development of a heel spur. You will find out the causes of the injury, information about the length of treatment along with tips for recovery.

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11 % - Groin injuries

• Groin muscle strain
• Inguinal hernia

Read more about groin pain and groin injuries.

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8 % - Thigh injuries

• Injuries to the tendons of the thigh muscles
• Thigh muscle strain

Thigh injuries are among the very common injuries in athletics (sprinting, hurdles) but also, for example, in footballers, who perform a lot of explosive movements in different directions.

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6 % - Lower back injuries and others

• Stress fractures
• Lumbar spine injuries

Read more about back pain in runners and other athletes - from the causes to the solution to the pain.

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Predisposition to frequent injuries

There are people who are more likely to get injured while running. Studies show that runners with various deviations are more often injured in connection with running. These predispositions include both a high and a flat arch of the foot, a faulty foot strike with excessive pronation or supination of the foot, bow legs or knock knees, a difference in leg length or even weakness of one of the muscles of the lower limb.¹

Preventing injuries while running

Before you start running you need to warm up and loosen up your joints and muscles before putting them under a high load. It is good to have good shoes, and for people with a problem with the arch of the foot it is good to use orthopaedic insoles. As for the running itself, technique and a gradual increase in distance are of course important. Up to 72% of injuries happen because of running distances for which the musculoskeletal system is not yet sufficiently trained. The main thing is to listen to your body and not to run through pain.¹

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References:

1. Fields, Karl B et al. “Prevention of running injuries.” Current sports medicine reports vol. 9,3 (2010): 176-82. doi:10.1249/JSR.0b013e3181de7ec5
2. Kakouris, Nicolas et al. “A systematic review of running-related musculoskeletal injuries in runners.” Journal of sport and health science vol. 10,5 (2021): 513-522. doi:10.1016/j.jshs.2021.04.001)