Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31673407›Full record

ArticleBMJ open sport & exercise medicine2019

Can marathon running improve knee damage of middle-aged adults? A prospective cohort study.

Laura Maria Horga, Johann Henckel, Anastasia Fotiadou, Anna Hirschmann, Camilla Torlasco, Anna Di Laura, Andrew D'Silva, Sanjay Sharma, James Moon, Alister Hart

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open sport & exercise medicine, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
17citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.9field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

17 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 30 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Laura Maria HorgaInstitute of Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Science, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, University College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-1244-2140
Johann HenckelInstitute of Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Science, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, University College London, London, UK.
Anastasia FotiadouInstitute of Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Science, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, University College London, London, UK.
Anna HirschmannClinic of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Camilla TorlascoInstitute of Cardiovascular Science and Barts Heart Centre, University College London, London, UK.
Anna Di LauraInstitute of Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Science, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, University College London, London, UK.
Andrew D'SilvaDepartment of Cardiovascular Sciences, St. George's University of London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-8700-1545
Sanjay SharmaDepartment of Cardiovascular Sciences, St. George's University of London, London, UK.
James MoonInstitute of Cardiovascular Science and Barts Heart Centre, University College London, London, UK.
Alister HartInstitute of Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Science, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, University College London, London, UK.
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital · GBBritish Heart Foundation · GBSt George's, University of London · GBUniversity of Basel · CH

Funding

British Heart Foundation FS/15/27/31465
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo evaluate the short-term impact of long-distance running on knee joints using MRI.

methods82 healthy adults participating in their first marathon underwent 3T (Tesla) MRI of both knees 6 months before and half a month after the marathon: 71 completed both the 4 month-long standardised training programme and the marathon; and 11 dropped-out during training and did not run the marathon. Two senior musculoskeletal radiologists graded the internal knee structures using validated scoring systems. Participants completed Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score questionnaires at each visit for self-reporting knee function.

resultsPremarathon and pretraining MRI showed signs of damage, without symptoms, to several knee structures in the majority of the 82 middle-aged volunteers. However, after the marathon, MRI showed a reduction in the radiological score of damage in: subchondral bone marrow oedema in the condyles of the tibia (p=0.011) and femur (p=0.082). MRI did also show an increase in radiological scores to the following structures: cartilage of the lateral patella (p=0.0005); semimembranosus tendon (p=0.016); iliotibial band (p<0.0001) and the prepatellar bursa (p=0.016).

conclusionImprovement to damaged subchondral bone of the tibial and femoral condyles was found following the marathon in novice runners, as well as worsening of the patella cartilage although asymptomatic. This is the most robust evidence to link marathon running with knee joint health and provides important information for those seeking to understand the link between long distance running and osteoarthritis of the main weight-bearing areas of the knee.

Indexed as

elderly peopleknee injuriesmarathonMRI

Identifiers

PMID31673407
PMCPMC6797328
OpenAlexW2980715347

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.