The impact of anterior knee pain on the quality of life among runners in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng

Abstract

Background: Anterior knee pain (AKP) is the most common injury among runners and has a negative impact on the quality of life (QOL) of many athletes. Objective: To determine the impact of anterior knee pain on the QOL among runners in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. Materials & methods: A cross–sectional study design was used. A population of 73 runners with AKP were included. Participants included runners aged 13 to 55-year-old. The SF-36 questionnaire was used to collect data. Ethical clearance, permission from club managers and consent from participants were obtained. Data were collected over six weeks and analysed using SPSS. Descriptive statistics included frequencies, means, standard deviations and ranges. Inferential statistics included Spearman's correlation calculation. Results: The lowest QOL scores were found among: role functioning/physical (62), role functioning/emotional (59), energy/fatigue (59), emotional well-being (68) and pain scales (63). Males, youth and runners with least experience presented with lowest scores. Significant correlation was found between: role functioning/physical and experience (p =.030; rs =-.221), role functioning/emotional and gender (p =.017; rs =-.247) and race (p =.012; rs =-.265), general health and experience (p =.021; rs =-.239), energy/fatigue and race (p =.012; rs =.264), emotional well-being and age (p =.020; rs =.241), general health and gender (p =.013; rs =.456), social functioning and age (p =.010; rs =.271) and energy/fatigue and experience (p =.001; rs =-.371). Discussion & Conclusion: This study highlights the need to improve QOL among running population with AKP. Multidimensional rehabilitation programmes are recommended. 
 Key words: anterior knee pain, quality of life, runners

Community-based rehabilitation implementation framework to address patellofemoral pain amongst runners in under-resourced communities: Delphi consensus

“…Studies have shown that runners in under-resourced communities have a high prevalence of poorly managed PFP injuries because of inaccessible, unaffordable, unavailable and inadequate rehabilitation services (Kunene et al 2018a(Kunene et al , 2018b(Kunene et al , 2019(Kunene et al , 2020a(Kunene et al , 2020b. South Africa faces the challenge of scarce healthcare resources, especially in low socio-economic communities, which makes it difficult to fully address the health-related needs of people (Rasool & Both 2011).…”

“…Round 1: Evidence from relevant articles was used to generate 32 statement items (five core items and 27 sub-items) on how rehabilitation programmes for runners with PFP can be implemented in under-resourced communities. In addition, the outcome from studies on the nature of PFP, runners' needs in under-resourced communities and current rehabilitation strategies were also used (Kunene et al 2018a(Kunene et al , 2018b(Kunene et al , 2019(Kunene et al , 2020a(Kunene et al , 2020b. The 32 preliminary statement items were converted into a questionnaire and pilot tested amongst three sports medicine academics, one sports physician and one clinical physiotherapist.…”

“…They reported a PFP prevalence of 40% and identified the physical and psychological risk factors amongst runners in an underresourced community in South Africa. In a follow-up study, Kunene et al found that PFP adversely affected the quality of life of these runners (Kunene et al 2018b), namely the physical, mental, social and emotional states of many runners. Runners are affected and discouraged by injuries and this might result in their withdrawal from the activity.…”

Rehabilitation approaches to anterior knee pain among runners: A scoping review

“…insoles) should be carried out. Kunene et al (2018b) recommend in their studies that a comprehensive rehabilitation programme should encompass the physical and non-physical components of AKP to improve the QoL for runners. For this to be achieved, a multimodal rehabilitation programme may need to be designed for runners.…”

Anterior knee pain and its extrinsic risk factors among runners in under-resourced communities in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, South Africa

“…A previous study highlighted the negative impact of AKP on the QOL of runners from underresourced communities, recommending the need to address the non-physical features when formulating strategies to improve QOL among the running population with AKP. [5] Runners can be predisposed to AKP through intrinsic and external factors. Intrinsic factors may include a weak vastus medialis oblique, tight gastrocnemius-soleus muscle complex, dysfunction of the hip muscles, foot pronation, generalised joint laxity, limb length discrepancy, patellar malalignment and patellar hypermobility.…”