Runner’s knee: causes, symptoms and treatment

When we run one kilometer, we take approximately 2,000 steps, at a pace of 4 minutes, causing a resistance in the knee of between three and four times our own body weight. Thus, during a popular 5-kilometer race, with a finish line in 20 minutes, our knees will need to stretch and flex more than 10,000 times, sustaining an effort equivalent to three times our own weight.

Symptoms of knee injuries

One of the most overloaded muscle-tendon elements is the “iliotibial band”. When this happens a pain appears on the outside of the knee while running, walking or cycling. It starts with a slight discomfort during the first and second day, which is accentuated in the rolling, so that 10-20 minutes after the start of the activity forces you to stop.

When the patient is at rest it does not usually bother, but as soon as the same activity is performed the pain arises in the same or lesser interval of time and manifesting itself more intensely. The point of maximum pain is felt when the knee is flexed at 30º, that is to say, when the running rhythm is slow. The iliotibial band when it is at 30º of flexion suffers the maximum friction with the zone that more protrudes of the external face of the knee, the external femoral condyle. The more often and with greater intensity it rubs, the greater the probability that the webbing will become inflamed. Because of the mechanism of production, some specialists in traumatology call it the “windshield wiper syndrome”.

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Factors of the iliotibial band syndrome

On the other hand, there are internal and external factors that favor this syndrome such as alterations in the footprint, misalignment and dysmetry, that is, different measurements of the lower extremities; weakness of the muscles, especially the gluteus medius, the increase in volume or intensity of training, downhill races, inadequate or worn-out footwear, not resting the recommended hours, poor diet, poor hydration, among others.

Diagnosis and treatment of knee injuries

The diagnosis of this type of sports injury is fundamentally clinical, hence the importance of a specialized assessment, since many times imaging tests such as X-rays or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are not valid.

Anti-inflammatory treatment will not be effective if running or cycling is not interrupted. Corticosteroid infiltrations facilitate rapid control of inflammatory symptoms, but do not solve the root of the problem. For these reasons, a correct assessment by a specialist is essential.