Azami Pouria, Ashraf Alireza, Yousefi Omid, Hosseinpour Alireza, Nasiri Aref
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2024 May 6;16(1):104. doi: 10.1186/s13102-024-00896-4.
This present study aimed to assess the impact of treadmill running on distal femoral cartilage thickness.
Professional athletes aged 20 to 40 years with a history of treadmill running (minimum 75 min per week for the past three months or more) and age-, sex-, and body mass index (BMI)-matched healthy controls were recruited. Demographics and clinical features of participants were recorded. Athletes were divided into subgroup 1 with less than 12 months of treadmill running and subgroup 2 with 12 months or more of treadmill running. Distal femoral cartilage thicknesses were measured at the midpoints of the right medial condyle (RMC), right intercondylar area (RIA), right lateral condyle (RLC), left medial condyle (LMC), left intercondylar area (LIA), and left lateral condyle (LLC) via ultrasonography.
A total of 72 athletes (mean age: 29.6 ± 6.6 years) and 72 controls (mean age: 31.9 ± 6.7 years) were enrolled. Athletes had significantly thinner cartilages in the RLC (2.21 ± 0.38 vs. 2.39 ± 0.31 cm, p = 0.002), LLC (2.28 ± 0.37 vs. 2.46 ± 0.35 cm, p = 0.004), and LMC (2.28 ± 0.42 vs. 2.42 ± 0.36 cm, p = 0.039) compared with the control group. Furthermore, cartilage thickness was significantly thinner in subgroup 2 athletes compared with the control group in the RLC (2.13 ± 0.34 vs. 2.39 ± 0.31 cm, p = 0.001), LLC (2.22 ± 0.31 vs. 2.46 ± 0.35 cm, p = 0.005), and LMC (2.21 ± 0.46 vs. 2.42 ± 0.36 cm, p = 0.027); however, subgroup 1 athletes did not have such differences. There was a weak negative correlation between total months of treadmill running and cartilage thickness in the RLC (r = - 0.0236, p = 0.046) and LLC (r = - 0.0233, p = 0.049). No significant correlation was found between the distal femoral cartilage thickness at different sites and the patients' demographic features, including age, BMI, speed and incline of treadmill running, and minutes of running per session and week (p > 0.05).
Compared with healthy controls, professional athletes with a history of long-term high-intensity treadmill running had thinner femoral cartilages. The duration (months) of treadmill running was weakly negatively correlated with distal femoral cartilage thickness. Longitudinal studies with prolonged follow-ups are needed to clarify how treadmill running affects femoral cartilage thickness in athletes.
本研究旨在评估跑步机跑步对股骨远端软骨厚度的影响。
招募年龄在20至40岁之间、有跑步机跑步史（过去三个月每周至少75分钟或更长时间）且年龄、性别和体重指数（BMI）匹配的健康对照组的职业运动员。记录参与者的人口统计学和临床特征。运动员被分为跑步机跑步时间少于12个月的亚组1和跑步机跑步时间为12个月或更长时间的亚组2。通过超声测量右内侧髁（RMC）、右髁间区（RIA）、右外侧髁（RLC）、左内侧髁（LMC）、左髁间区（LIA）和左外侧髁（LLC）中点处的股骨远端软骨厚度。
共纳入72名运动员（平均年龄：29.6±6.6岁）和72名对照组（平均年龄：31.9±6.7岁）。与对照组相比，运动员的RLC（2.21±0.38 vs. 2.39±0.31 cm，p = 0.002）、LLC（2.28±0.37 vs. 2.46±0.35 cm，p = 0.004）和LMC（2.28±0.42 vs. 2.42±0.36 cm，p = 0.039）软骨明显更薄。此外，与对照组相比，亚组2运动员的RLC（2.13±0.34 vs. 2.39±0.31 cm，p = 0.001）、LLC（2.22±0.31 vs. 2.46±0.35 cm，p = 0.005）和LMC（2.21±0.46 vs. 2.42±0.36 cm，p = 0.027）软骨厚度明显更薄；然而，亚组1运动员没有这种差异。跑步机跑步总月数与RLC（r = -0.0236，p = 0.046）和LLC（r = -0.0233，p = 0.049）的软骨厚度之间存在弱负相关。在不同部位的股骨远端软骨厚度与患者的人口统计学特征之间未发现显著相关性，包括年龄、BMI、跑步机跑步的速度和坡度以及每次和每周跑步的分钟数（p>0.05）。
与健康对照组相比，有长期高强度跑步机跑步史的职业运动员股骨软骨更薄。跑步机跑步的持续时间（月）与股骨远端软骨厚度呈弱负相关。需要进行长期随访的纵向研究来阐明跑步机跑步如何影响运动员的股骨软骨厚度。
