INTRODUCTION

People run as a form of exercise but sometimes may be set back by aches and pains. Many runners notice such aches and pains in different areas of their bodies when performing this activity on different surfaces. Dixon and Collop have shown that there are biomechanical differences such as an initial increase in knee flexion when running on different surfaces. These biomechanical changes observed during running on different surfaces may lead to overuse injuries (Dixon and Collop, 2000) Some runners complain of problems, particularly in the knee and ankle joints as well as the lower leg. These problems can occur when running on a treadmill or overground. In this study we will be examining the differences in joint angles and the position of the leg segment. The joint angles we will examine are the knee and ankle joints and we will also be analyzing positioning of the leg segment.

In this study we will further investigate these differences in joint angles and positioning of the leg segment when running on the ground compared to when running on a treadmill. On a treadmill, we hypothesize that the range of motion of the knee and ankle joints will be larger. The ankle will have greater plantar flexion and the leg segment will be lifted further off the ground due to the movement of the treadmill belt.