Musculoskeletal Imaging of Runners

• Conditions: Musculoskeletal Injury

• Registration Number: NCT04385472
• Lead Sponsor: Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust

Brief Summary

The investigators aimed to assess the impact of long-distance running on musculoskeletal system of runners, by doing high resolution magnetic resonance imaging analysis before and after marathon running.

Detailed Description

Rationale for the study: This research will examine a key modifiable risk factor for health and well- being: exercise. Regular exercise is highly recommended by healthcare professionals because the whole body benefits, including cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal systems and mental wellbeing. Long-distance running is a popular physical activity with more than 30 million individuals running marathons each year. The increasing participation of first-time runners, including older people, has been linked to a rise in related injuries. The ideal dose of exercise is not known and overdosage affects some musculoskeletal tissues and joints more than others. Overdoing a specific amount of exercise and the presence of chronic injuries may pose a great risk on the joints, leading to serious conditions such as osteoarthritis, musculoskeletal injuries, tendinopathy. However, it is not yet clear whether a high dose of exercise such as marathon running damages the musculoskeletal system and there is a growing need for research in the area of running science to better understand this.

Aim: This research aims to do musculoskeletal imaging before and after long-distance running using 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging and to provide evidence on how much exercise people should undertake and how to minimise injury.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2019-04-01
• Primary Completion: 2020-02-01
• Status Verified: 2020-05
• Study First Submitted: 2020-05-04
• Study First Submitted QC: 2020-05-07
• Last Update Submitted: 2020-05-07
• Study First Posted: 2020-05-13
• Last Update Posted: 2020-05-13
• Study Completion: 2021-12-01

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: UNKNOWN
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 52

Inclusion Criteria

• no previous marathon participations
• no present or previous history of hip injuries or surgeries
• asymptomatic hip joints
• no contradindications to hip MRI scanning

Exclusion Criteria

• pregnant or breastfeeding women
• individuals aged <18 years
• claustrophobia
• history of anxiety or panic attacks
• known hip problems

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in radiographic score after marathon running	up to 1 year
Change in self-reported hip questionnaire after marathon running	up to 1 year

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Number of participants who finished the training for/and the marathon vs not finishing	up to 4 months

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital; 🇬🇧 London, United Kingdom