Running Shoes May Harm Knees, Hips, and Ankles

While running has proven cardiovascular and other health benefits, the activity can increase stresses on the joints of the leg.  D. Casey Kerrigan and colleagues recruited 68 healthy young adult runners (37 women) who ran at least 15 miles per week in typical, currently available running shoes, and were absent of any history of musculoskeletal injury, providing running shoes to the study participants.   Using a treadmill and a motion analysis system, each subject was observed running barefoot and with shoes. Data were collected at each runner’s comfortable running pace after a warm-up period.  The researchers observed increased joint torques at the hip, knee and ankle with running shoes compared with running barefoot. Disproportionately large increases were observed in the hip internal rotation torque and in the knee flexion and knee varus torques. An average 54% increase in the hip internal rotation torque, a 36% increase in knee flexion torque, and a 38% increase in knee varus torque were measured when running in running shoes compared with barefoot.  The team writes that: “The findings at the knee suggest relatively greater pressures at anatomical sites that are typically more prone to knee osteoarthritis, the medial and patellofemoral compartments” and suggest their study demonstrates that running shoes exert more stress on the knees, hips, and ankles as compared to running barefoot or walking in high-heeled shoes.