Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to address anatomical and biomechanical factors related to long distance running, symptoms of the patellofemoral problems, causes of overuse syndromes, and different treatment modalities to overcome these problems. The symptoms of the patellofemoral problems can be divided as follows: retropatellar pain, retropatellar crepitus, swelling of the knee joint, subjective feeling of instability, and pain on ascending or descending stairs or hills. Most common causes of problems are training errors, anatomical factors, running shoes, or training surface. Several treatment modalities have been used more or less successfully to help runners. If the runner is aware of these different causes, she/he will likely notice the early physical signs and symptoms of conditions which, if left untreated, will develop into more significant injuries and interfere with the runners regular workout schedule. Verf.-Referat