RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: Analyze the effects of 3 gait retraining: forefoot landing (FFOOT), 10% step rate increase (SR10%) and forward trunk lean (FTL) on lower limb biomechanics and clinical measurements in patellofemoral pain (PFP) runners. DESIGN: Case series report. SETTINGS: Biomechanical laboratory and treadmill running. PARTICIPANTS: Eighteen recreational PFP runners randomized in 3 groups. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Lower limb kinematics and muscle activation were assessed at baseline and 2-week post-training. Pain intensity and function limitation, measured by AKPS (Anterior Knee Pain Scale) and LEFS (Lower Extremity Functional Scale) assessed at baseline, post-training and 6-month follow-up. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to compare the effects of gait retraining. RESULTS: FFOOT and FTL increased the AKPS score at post-training(Pâ¯=â¯.001; Pâ¯=â¯.008) and 6-month follow-up(Pâ¯<â¯.001; Pâ¯<â¯.001). SR10% increased the AKPS score from baseline to 6-month follow-up(Pâ¯=â¯.006). Pain and LEFS score were improved after gait retraining regardless group. FFOOT presented greater gastrocnemius(Pâ¯=â¯.037) and rectus femoris pre-activation(Pâ¯=â¯.006) at post-retraining session. Gait retraining reduced the muscle activity during stance phase and increased during the late-swing regardless group. CONCLUSION: The three techniques presented clinical benefits, improvement of pain symptoms and functional scores, was not accompanied with significant biomechanics differences that could entirely explain this clinical improvement after the intervention.