runner's knee

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An umbrella term for a number of conditions, but usually applied to knee pain resulting from an irritation of the iliotibial band (the tendon on the outside of the thigh which helps to stabilize the knee) when it rubs against the lower end of the thigh bone. This injury has the much more impressive medical name of ‘iliotibial band friction syndrome’. It usually occurs in runners who have been running for less than 4 years and who regularly run more than 10 miles (about 16 km) per week. Running on cambered roads and excessive pronation increases the risk of suffering this condition. Treatment includes static stretching exercises of the iliotibial band.

A term first used by Dr George Sheehan in the 1970s to describe a rather enigmatic running injury characterized by pain around the kneecap, which occurs during running, but is not linked to any specific external trauma. The pain worsens with the distance of the run, and makes walking up and down stairs difficult. It is not usually resolved by conventional treatments, such as cortisone injections. It was first thought to be a form of chondromalaria patellae, which would suggest that running may cause degeneration of articular cartilage. However, the pain associated with runner's knee is usually on the inner or outer border of the kneecap. The condition is now thought to be a form of patellofemoral pain syndrome. The term runner's knee has also been applied to the pain on the outside of the knee associated with iliotibial band syndrome. Running on cambered roads and excessive pronation increase the risk of suffering from painful knees.