Relationship Between Clinical Musculoskeletal Measures and Heel Whip Gait Patterns in Recreational Runners

Jordan Geyster

Abstract:
As participation in recreational running has increased over the past decades, the incidence of running-related musculoskeletal injuries (MSI) also has increased. Heel whip (HW), or medial/lateral rotation of the foot in the transverse plane during the swing phase of running, is a relatively novel biomechanical variable in running gait; therefore, limited research exists examining its relationship to MSI risk factors. Possible risk factors include anatomic, musculoskeletal, and biomechanical variables. The primary aim of this study is to determine if there is a significant relationship between clinical musculoskeletal measures with HW gait patterns in recreational runners. A secondary aim is to compare the prevalence of HW in our sample to that reported in previous research. Thirteen healthy, physically active recreational runners (30 minutes, 3x/week) will be recorded while running on a treadmill (self-selected pace, ~5 minutes), with the video uploaded to the Coach's Eye app to measure HW. The following clinical measures will be obtained: ankle dorsiflexion ROM, tibial torsion, hip abduction strength, and Single Leg Squat Test biomechanics. Data collection will occur February-April 2022 after IRB approval. Data will be analyzed using Pearson Product-moment/Spearman's correlations to assess the relationship between HW and four clinical measures prior to the conference. As more running-related MSI occur, it is crucial to identify modifiable factors that contribute to running-related MSI to mitigate this risk. The findings of the proposed study may identify specific clinical measures correlated to HW, which may help clinicians implement strategies to minimize HW, potentially reducing MSI risk.