Editing Human leg (section)

=== Lower leg injury ===

Lower leg injuries are common while running or playing sports. About 10% of all injuries in athletes involve the lower extremities.<ref name="auto">Kjaer, M., Krogsgaard, M., & Magnusson, P. (Eds.). (2008). Textbook of Sports Medicine Basic Science and Clinical Aspects of Sports Injury and Physical Activity. Chichester, GBR: John Wiley & Sons.{{page needed|date=May 2015}}</ref> The majority of athletes sprain their ankles; this is mainly caused by the increased loads onto the feet when they move into [[Plantar flexion|the foot down]] or in [[Pronation|an outer ankle position]]. All areas of the foot, which are the forefoot, midfoot, and rearfoot, absorb various forces while running and this can also lead to injuries.<ref name="autogenerated1999">Bartlett, R. (1999). Sports Biomechanics: Preventing Injury and Improving Performance. London, GBR: Spon Press.{{page needed|date=May 2015}}</ref> Running and various activities can cause stress fractures, tendinitis, musculotendinous injuries, or any chronic pain to our lower extremities such as the tibia.<ref name="auto" />

==== Types of activities ====
Injuries to quadriceps or hamstrings are caused by the constant impact loads to the legs during activities, such as kicking a ball. While doing this type of motion, 85% of that shock is absorbed to the hamstrings; this can cause strain to those muscles.<ref name="autogenerated1999" />
* '''Jumping''' – is another risk because if the legs do not land properly after an initial jump, there may be damage to the meniscus in the knees, sprain to the ankle by everting or inverting the foot, or damage to the Achilles tendon and gastrocnemius if there is too much force while plantar flexing.<ref name="autogenerated1999" />
* '''Weight lifting''' – such as the improperly performed [[deep squat]], is also dangerous to the lower limbs, because the exercise can lead to an overextension, or an outstretch, of our ligaments in the knee and can cause pain over time.<ref name="autogenerated1999" />
* '''Running''' – the most common activity associated with lower leg injury. There is constant pressure and stress being put on the feet, knees, and legs while running by gravitational force. Muscle tears in our legs or pain in various areas of the feet can be a result of poor biomechanics of running.

===== Running =====
The most common injuries in running involve the knees and the feet. Various studies have focused on the initial cause of these running related injuries and found that there are many factors that correlate to these injuries. Female distance runners who had a history of stress fracture injuries had higher vertical impact forces than non-injured subjects.<ref name="autogenerated2006">{{cite journal |last1=Hreljac |first1=Alan |last2=Ferber |first2=Reed |year=2006 |title=A biomechanical perspective of predicting injury risk in running: review article |journal=International Sportmed Journal |volume=7 |issue=2 |pages=98–108 |hdl=10520/EJC48590 }}</ref> The large forces onto the lower legs were associated with gravitational forces, and this correlated with patellofemoral pain or potential knee injuries.<ref name="autogenerated2006" /> Researchers have also found that these running-related injuries affect the feet as well, because runners with previous injuries showed more foot eversion and over-pronation while running than non-injured runners.<ref name="vanderstraeten2004">{{cite journal |doi=10.1016/j.gaitpost.2004.12.004 |pmid=16311200 |title=A prospective study of gait related risk factors for exercise-related lower leg pain |journal=Gait & Posture |volume=23 |issue=1 |pages=91–98 |year=2006 |last1=Willems |first1=T.M. |last2=De Clercq |first2=D. |last3=Delbaere |first3=K. |last4=Vanderstraeten |first4=G. |last5=De Cock |first5=A. |last6=Witvrouw |first6=E. }}</ref> This causes more loads and forces on the medial side of the foot, causing more stress on the tendons of the foot and ankle.<ref name="vanderstraeten2004" /> Most of these running injuries are caused by overuse: running longer distances weekly for a long duration is a risk for injuring the lower legs.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1016/j.jsams.2014.07.014 |pmid=25174773 |title=A step towards understanding the mechanisms of running-related injuries |journal=Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport |year=2014 |last1=Malisoux |first1=Laurent |last2=Nielsen |first2=Rasmus Oestergaard |last3=Urhausen |first3=Axel |last4=Theisen |first4=Daniel |volume=18 |issue=5 |pages=523–28|doi-access=free }}</ref>

==== Prevention tools ====
Voluntary stretches to the legs, such as the wall stretch, condition the hamstrings and the [[gastrocnemius muscle|calf muscle]] to various movements before vigorously working them.<ref>{{cite web |last=Spiker |first=Ted |date=7 March 2007 |title=Build Stronger Lower Legs |work=Runner's World |url=http://www.runnersworld.com/health/build-stronger-lower-legs}}</ref> The environment and surroundings, such as uneven terrain, can cause the feet to position in an unnatural way, so wearing shoes that can absorb forces from the ground's impact and allow for stabilizing the feet can prevent some injuries while running as well. Shoes should be structured to allow friction-traction at the shoe surface, space for different foot-strike stresses, and for comfortable, regular arches for the feet.<ref name="autogenerated1999" />

==== Summary ====
The chance of damaging our lower extremities will be reduced by having knowledge about some activities associated with lower leg injury and developing a correct form of running, such as not over-pronating the foot or overusing the legs. Preventative measures, such as various stretches, and wearing appropriate footwear, will also reduce injuries.