The Effects of Running Ultramarathons on the Structures of the Knee: An MRI Study | Chapter 3 | Current Overview on Disease and Health Research Vol. 1

The goal of this study was to use magnetic resonance imaging (MR) to analyse the impact of ultramarathon running on the structures of the normal knee and any pre-existing abnormalities of the knee. It was proposed that the race worsens the overuse injuries unique to marathon running but has no impact on the MR appearance of knee injuries that have already occurred or have healed. Ten prospectively chosen runners who finished the Comrades Marathon between 1997 and 2002 had their knees scanned using magnetic resonance imaging. The knees of participants were scanned 48 hours before the race, 48 hours after the race, and one month after the event. All knee injuries found on scans taken just before the race were scored using MR imaging, and the scores obtained following the race were compared. All knees that were scanned before the race had abnormally high levels of joint fluid, it was discovered. In five runners, this quantity was discovered to have grown further right away following the race, whereas it stayed unaltered in the other five. One month later, five runners had reduced joint fluid and five had not altered, although the runners in each of these five groups were different from the runners in the post-race groups. Prior to the competition, the distal patellar and quadriceps tendons of four runners showed increased signal intensity. On post-race scans, six athletes had decreased or remained the same. On scans performed a month later, three runners showed a decrease in signal intensity, two runners showed complete resolution, and one runner showed no change. The race had no impact on old, healed injuries to ligaments, tendons, or other knee structures.

In conclusion, it seems that the occasion has a negative impact on those runners who begin the ultramarathon with tendinopathy, which MRI criteria on the post-race scan indicate worsens. The overuse injury's scan look a month after the race either got better or disappeared entirely. Running in the Comrades Marathon does not seem to result in bone bruising or meniscal injury in the knees of runners.

Author (s) Details:

Glen J. Hagemann,
Asset Health, 41 Cole St, Somerset West, South Africa.

Arie M. Rijke,
MSE-SEAS, Thornton Hall, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-0745, USA.

Peter D. Corr,
Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE University, P.O.Box 17666, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/CODHR-V1/article/view/7423