[Purpose] Primary purpose was to compare running mechanics between healthy runners and runners with chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS) including overstride angles, ankle dorsiflexion (DF) angles, and foot strike patterns. The secondary purpose was to analyze the association between the overstride angles and ankle DF angles. [Participants and Methods] Running images of 7 female runners with bilateral CECS patients were captured at a time of the medical examination. Their running images were compared with gender, age, and body mass index matched 31 healthy control runners. [Results] The bilateral CECS female runners have a propensity of running with significantly greater overstride and ankle DF angles than the healthy female runners. There were no foot strike differences between the two cohorts. There were a non-significant, poor relationship between overstride and ankle DF angles in the healthy female runners while a significant, strong association was found between overstride and ankle DF angles in the bilateral CECS female runners. [Conclusion] Compared to healthy female runners, bilateral CECS female runners demonstrated different running mechanics including greater overstride and ankle DF angles. The two variables were strongly associated with each other in bilateral CECS female runners, but not in healthy female runners. This may potentially contribute to the mechanism of CECS development.
Keywords: Chronic exertional compartment syndrome; Gait analysis; Strike patterns.