RESEARCH ARTICLE Self-Reported Knee Symptoms Assessed by KOOS Questionnaire in Downhill Runners (Skyrunners)

Background The knee is the weight-bearing joint most commonly associated with sports injuries, and therefore is most at risk of developing degenerative changes, including osteoarthritis. Sky-runners can be considered to be at risk of developing symptoms of post-traumatic osteoar-thritis due to downhill running. Aim The aim of this study was to analyze the health of the knee joints of a large group of these athletes via a specific self-report questionnaire. Methods This study was carried out by asking the participants of seven official Skyraces (22.4±3.1 km length; 1596±393 m elevation) to fill out a questionnaire. Information regarding age, sex, downhill elevation (m) during training and competitions over the last month, and history of previous knee injury was also collected before the participants filled out the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), which is a reliable and validated instrument de