Fore foot strike and the patella

Can someone please explain the difference on an athelete's patello-femoral tracking if they change from a heel strike to a fore foot strike.
I saw a patient today with patello-femoral pain and he wanted to know if this new running pattern could be one of the reasons for his problem.

Originally Posted by Chartered Physiotherapist Can someone please explain the difference on an athelete's patello-femoral tracking if they change from a heel strike to a fore foot strike. I saw a patient today with patello-femoral pain and he wanted to know if this new running pattern could be one of the reasons for his problem.

Some info here

I would have said there's less eccentric loading on the PF joint during forefoot running, assuming stride length is shorter. However if stride length's ahead of centre of gravity this will not be the case.

There's different types of forefoot running - in the POSE style there's little effort from the quads and therefore the PF tendon; the emphasis is on the hamstrings to pull the foot from the ground from an optimal landing position with fast cadence.

What's the patient's hip flexion like - have you tested for psoas / rec fem tightness?

Thanks Sports-Rx

I will test the hip flexor tightness today. Are the variations in FFS always due to the speed, stride length and surface incline or is there more to it in terms of teaching different techniques?

Originally Posted by Chartered Physiotherapist Thanks Sports-Rx I will test the hip flexor tightness today. Are the variations in FFS always due to the speed, stride length and surface incline or is there more to it in terms of teaching different techniques?

Variations are those you mention plus ROM, strength and flexibility of posterior chain and of course Core issues. Also some variation in landing - mid foot, more on toes etc. Ideally it would be good to see patient running to assess what's going on biomechanically in addition to other msk & neuro testing.

s there ever a time when the flat-foot landing doesn't make sense? For example, is it still the best technique for an ultra-marathoner?