In elderly people, concern with quality of life has led to increased interest on physical activities, among which running or jogging in the streets is the favourite. In runners, excessive ankle movements have been linked to musculoskeletal injuries. Literature has suggested elderly runners are more susceptible to running-related injuries than adults, but it is still unknown whether aging-related tissue degeneration might be associated to this. This study aimed at comparing the stance phase kinematics of running in adults and elderly runners. Seventeen adults (31±5 years old) and 17 elderly runners (69±2 years old) ran on a treadmill at 11 km/h while they were filmed by four digital cameras at 120 Hz. Rearfoot and knee joint movements were measured during the stance phase of running. The elderly runners showed lower knee flexion and lower tibial internal rotation excursion. Elderly runners apparently presented greater asynchrony between rearfoot and knee joint movement than adults. These findings suggest that during running stance elderly runners adopt different movement patterns when compared to adults. Prescription of physical activities for the elderly and prevention strategies in elderly runners should consider these findings.
Aging; Biomechanics; Running
