A Self-Directed Web-Based Education for Boston Marathon Runners With Patellofemoral Pain

N/AEnrolling By InvitationNCT07266922

Boston Children's Hospital104 enrolled

Overview

Runners experience diverse lower extremity injuries, and the most common is patellofemoral pain (PFP)-commonly known as "runner's knee" and characterized by pain around and/or behind the kneecap. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a 6-week, self-directed, web-based education program for runners competing in the 2026 Boston Marathon. The study will evaluate outcomes, including pain, function, and marathon performance, in runners who use a web-based educational program designed to help them understand and manage knee pain. There will be two groups: Group 1 will receive the 6-week web-based educational program prior to the 2026 Boston Marathon, while Group 2 will serve as the wait-and-see control group (no intervention) prior to the marathon and then receive the same program 6 weeks after completing the marathon.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

104

Conditions

Patellofemoral Pain

Interventions

This intervention uses MyKneeCap.com, a free, web-based educational platform designed to help runners understand their knee pain. The platform provides information about patellofemoral pain and includes exercise programs aimed at reducing pain and improving knee function. This intervention does not involve any drugs, devices, or other procedural components.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 45 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Insidious onset of peripatellar and/or retropatellar pain ≥3 months * Worst pain level in the previous week ≥3/10 on the numeric pain rating scale * Pain during at least two of the following tasks: prolonged sitting, kneeling, squatting, walking, running, jumping, and stair negotiation. * All participants must have access to an internet-enabled device (e.g., computer, tablet, smartphone) equipped with audio capabilities sufficient to engage with the web-based education platform Exclusion Criteria: * History of lower extremity surgery * History of lower extremity pain or injury (other than patellofemoral pain) in the previous six months * History of patellar dislocation or subluxation * Internal derangement (e.g., meniscal lesion) * Ligamentous instability * Other sources of anterior knee pain (e.g., patellar tendinopathy, bursitis)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Clinical outcomes (pain)

Pain will be assessed for current pain and worst pain in the previous week using a 10-cm visual analog scale (VAS; 0=no pain; 10=worst pain imaginable), a reliable, valid, and responsive tool for evaluating treatment outcomes for patellofemoral pain.