Runner's Knee
Runners are far more likely to suffer knee pain than
cyclists. The most common long term injury in runners is a
condition called runner’s knee in which the back of the knee cap
rubs against the front bottom of the femur, the long bone of the
upper leg. If it hurts to push the kneecap against the bone behind
it, you have runner's knee.
The back of the kneecap is shaped like a triangle with
the point fitting in a groove in the lower part of the bone behind it.
During running, the knee cap is supposed to move up and down
and not from side to side. When you run, you land on the outside
bottom of your foot and roll inward toward the big toe side of your
foot. This is called pronation. It forces your lower leg to twist
inward while at the same time, three of the four quad muscles
attached to the kneecap pull the kneecap outward, causing it to
rub against the bone behind it.
The amount of inner twisting of the lower leg during
running is related to how straight your knee is. Bending your
knee decreases inner twisting and rubbing of the knee cap
against the bone behind it. People with runner’s knee usually can
pedal a bicycle with their seats set lower than normal to prevent
their knees from straightening completely. Orthotics, custom-
fitted inserts in the shoes that restrict pronation, may help. They
can also use special exercises that strengthen the vastus
medialis muscle above the kneecap that pulls the knee cap
inward when they run or pedal.
Checked 6/29/09