Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Effect Of Biomechanical Variables On Injury Rates: A Literature Review, Nicholas Stricklen

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Long distance running has become a highly-participated activity throughout the world, allowing individuals to reap the health benefits and become physically fit. The issue with endurance running, or long distance running, is that an overuse in the lower extremities often results in injuries in the leg, foot, ankle, or hip. Often, these lower extremity injuries are not caused by overuse, but rather, an issue with biomechanics. The purpose of this literature review is to study three biomechanical variables and how they relate to injuries. Cadence, foot strike pattern, and vertical oscillation are biomechanical variables that contribute to injury rates. Most …