As a consequence of landing heel-first when running, the knee increases in stiffness as it extends and fully unbends. This reduces flexion in the joint which was found to cause more impact and loading to ripple out from the foot up the leg, particularly prying into the shin. Ultimately, in a heel strike landing, the knee is never fully able to engage as the shock absorber that it is, and running shoe cushioning was found to do little to absorb impact, too! Read more here!
