ABSTRACT

Injury surveys on runners have concluded that the occurrence of overuse injuries is the most common reason for runners to quit running and to continue with other kinds of physical exercise (Koplan et al., 1995). For 2002 distance runners Taunton et al. (2002) identified patellofemoral pain syndrome as the most common injury, followed by iliotibial band friction syndrome, plantar fasciitis, meniscal injuries of the knee, and tibial stress syndrome. With 42 per cent, the knee was the most frequently injured anatomical location for these runners. Between genders, women had higher relative incidences of gluteus medius injuries (70 per cent), PFP syndrome (58 per cent), iliotibial band friction syndrome (58 per cent), and tibial stress fractures (55 per cent). The male runners had more frequently meniscal injuries (75 per cent), achilles tendinitis (63 per cent), patellar tendinitis (62 per cent), and plantar fasciitis (58 per cent).