Gait Retraining for Runners With Patellofemoral Pain
Gait Retraining Intervention for Female Runners With Patellofemoral Pain: Randomized Controlled Trial
1 other identifier
interventional
44
1 country
1
Brief Summary
Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is a common overuse injury in runners. Increased patellofemoral joint stress (PFJS) is an important biomechanical factor associated with PFP. Gait retraining, especially cadence modification, may reduce PFJS and improve symptoms, but evidence from randomized controlled trials remains limited. This study investigated whether wearable device-assisted gait retraining was more effective than education alone in reducing pain, improving function, and altering running biomechanics in female runners with PFP.
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P25-P50 for not_applicable
Started May 2026
Shorter than P25 for not_applicable
1 active site
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
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Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
First Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
April 16, 2026
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
April 29, 2026
CompletedStudy Start
First participant enrolled
May 15, 2026
ExpectedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
December 15, 2026
Study Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
December 15, 2026
April 29, 2026
April 1, 2026
7 months
April 16, 2026
April 25, 2026
Conditions
Keywords
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (1)
Visual Analogue Scale for Pain during running
The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) is a validated, widely used instrument for assessing subjective pain intensity. It consists of a 10-centimeter horizontal line, with one end (0) representing "no pain" and the other end (10) representing "worst imaginable pain." It will be evaluated during running.
Baseline, Week 6, Week 18
Secondary Outcomes (5)
Visual Analogue Scale for usual pain
Baseline, Week 6, Week 18
Anterior Knee Pain Scale
Baseline, Week 6, Week 18
Knee Flexion Angle
Baseline, Week 6
Ground Reaction Force
Baseline, Week 6
Visual Analogue Scale for the worst pain
Baseline, Week 6, Week 18
Other Outcomes (2)
Step rates
Baseline, Week 6
Weekly running distance
Baseline, Week 6
Study Arms (2)
Gait retraining group
EXPERIMENTALParticipants received a 6-week gait retraining program plus patient education.
Control group
ACTIVE COMPARATORParticipants received a 6-week patient education program
Interventions
The intervention is a wearable device-assisted gait retraining program (home) designed specifically for female runners with patellofemoral pain.
PFP education, load management strategies, symptom-based training modifications, and strengthening exercises
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- Female, Age 18-45 years
- Unilateral/bilateral anterior knee pain \> 4 weeks
- VAS pain ≥ 3/10 during running and ≥ 2 of the following: jumping, squatting, kneeling, stairs, prolonged sitting, or resisted knee extension
- Running ≥ 15 km per week
- Natural rearfoot striker
You may not qualify if:
- Acute trauma, history of patellar dislocation, meniscal/chondral lesions
- Prior knee surgery or injection in past 12 months
- Rheumatologic, neurologic, or degenerative disease
- Pregnancy
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
Study Sites (1)
Beijing Sport University
Beijing, China
MeSH Terms
Conditions
Interventions
Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Study Officials
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Haonan Wang
Beijing Sport University
Central Study Contacts
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- not applicable
- Allocation
- RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- SINGLE
- Who Masked
- OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
- Purpose
- TREATMENT
- Intervention Model
- PARALLEL
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
- PI Title
- Research Fellow
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
April 16, 2026
First Posted
April 29, 2026
Study Start (Estimated)
May 15, 2026
Primary Completion (Estimated)
December 15, 2026
Study Completion (Estimated)
December 15, 2026
Last Updated
April 29, 2026
Record last verified: 2026-04
Data Sharing
- IPD Sharing
- Will share
- Shared Documents
- STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP
- Time Frame
- Beginning 6 months after publication of the main trial results, for up to 5 years.
- Access Criteria
- With whom: Researchers who provide a methodologically sound proposal to achieve aims consistent with the original study. For what types of analyses: For individual participant data meta-analyses and reproducibility purposes. How to access data: Proposals should be directed to the corresponding author (wanghaonan@bsu.edu.cn). Data access will be provided via secure data transfer after approval of a data-sharing agreement.
What IPD will be shared:De-identified individual participant data that underlie the results reported in the publication, including baseline characteristics, outcome measures (pain scores, functional scores, running mechanics), and adverse events. When will IPD be available: Beginning 6 months after publication of the main trial results, for up to 5 years. With whom: Researchers who provide a methodologically sound proposal to achieve aims consistent with the original study. For what types of analyses: For individual participant data meta-analyses and reproducibility purposes. How to access data: Proposals should be directed to the corresponding author (wanghaonan@bsu.edu.cn). Data access will be provided via secure data transfer after approval of a data-sharing agreement.