The effect of fatigue on plantar pressure distribution during running in view of running injuries

Background Several risk factors for the development of running injuries have been identified, however, the etiology is still not completely clear [1]. A number of prospective studies have identified gait-related risk factors for lower leg overuse injuries [2-6]. On the other hand, running injuries only develop by overloading the lower extremity. Fatigue can therefore be hypothesized to be a primary contributing factor. However, in determining injury etiology the relationship between the injury, the gait-related risk factors and overloading by fatigue is a complex model and the amount of contribution of each factor is difficult to assess. It might therefore be interesting to check 1) the interaction between fatigue and the roll-off pattern during running and 2)if fatigue generates specific gait-related risk factors for running injuries.