Exploration of running in minimal and conventional footwear on tibial stress fracture probability in habitual and non-habitual minimal users

Abstract

This research sought to investigate the impact of minimal and conventional footwear on the likelihood of tibial stress fractures among individuals who habitually and do not habitually use minimal footwear. Ten males who habitually ran in minimal footwear and ten males who habitually ran in conventional footwear, took part in this investigation. Kinematic information during overground running were gathered using an eight-camera motion-capture system, and ground reaction forces were recorded using a force plate. Tibial strains were assessed through finite element modelling, while the likelihood of stress fractures was determined through probabilistic modelling across a 100-day running period. Medial tibial loads were significantly greater in minimal footwear in both habitual (minimal = 1.27 & conventional = 1.09 BW) and non-habitual runners (habitual: minimal = 1.36 & conventional = 1.10 BW). There were however no significant differences between footwear or between habitual and non-habitual minimal footwear groups in 90th percentile tibial strain (habitual: minimal = 3894.45 & conventional = 3691.70 με and non-habitual: minimal = 4047.03 & conventional = 3787.73 με). Furthermore, tibial stress fracture probability also did not differ significantly between footwear or between habitual and non-habitual minimal footwear groups (habitual: minimal = 9.81 & conventional = 10.62 % and non-habitual: minimal = 12.08 & conventional = 13.63%). This investigation, therefore, indicates that neither habitual and non-habitual minimal footwear users nor minimal and conventional footwear appears to significantly affect the probability of developing a tibial stress fracture in experienced runners.

Keywords

• biomechanics
• running shoes
• minimal footwear
• finite element analysis
• musculoskeletal simulation
• probabilistic modelling