Effectiveness of Gait Retraining in Female Runners With Patellofemoral Pain

Beijing Sport University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Patellofemoral Pain, PFP

Treatments: Behavioral: Gait retraining; Behavioral: Education

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07176819

277H

Details and patient eligibility

About

Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is the most common running-related overuse injury, with prevalence up to 17% among runners. Increased patellofemoral joint stress (PFJS) is a major biomechanical contributor to PFP. Traditional strengthening exercises improve function but do not alter running biomechanics. Gait retraining, particularly cadence modification, has been proposed as a promising approach to reduce PFJS and alleviate symptoms. However, evidence from randomized controlled trials remains limited. This study investigates whether wearable device-assisted gait retraining reduces pain, improves function, and modifies running biomechanics in female runners with PFP compared to education alone.

Enrollment: 44 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 18 to 45 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Female, Age 18-45 years
• Unilateral/bilateral anterior knee pain > 4 weeks
• VAS pain ≥ 3/10 during running and ≥ 2 of the following: jumping, squatting, kneeling, stairs, prolonged sitting, or resisted knee extension
• Running ≥ 15 km per week
• Natural rearfoot striker

Exclusion criteria

• Acute trauma, history of patellar dislocation, meniscal/chondral lesions
• Prior knee surgery or injection in past 12 months
• Rheumatologic, neurologic, or degenerative disease
• Pregnancy

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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44 participants in 2 patient groups

Gait retraining group

Experimental group

Description:

Participants received a 6-week gait retraining program plus patient education. The gait retraining program primarily consisted of increasing the step rate by 10%, monitored via a smartwatch.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Education

Behavioral: Gait retraining

Control group

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants received a 6-week patient education program, which included PFP education, load management strategies, symptom-based training modifications, and strengthening exercises.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Education