Sensor location influences the associations between IMU and motion capture measurements of impact landing in healthy male and female runners at multiple running speeds.

This study investigated the relationships between inertial measurement unit (IMU) acceleration at multiple body locations and 3D motion capture impact landing measures in runners. Thirty healthy runners ran on an instrumented treadmill at five running speeds (9-17 km/h) during 3D motion capture. Axial and resultant acceleration were collected from IMUs at the distal and proximal tibia, distal femur and sacrum. Relationships between peak acceleration from each IMU location and patellofemoral joint (PFJ) peak force and loading rate, impact peak and instantaneous vertical loading rate (IVLR) were investigated using linear mixed models. Acceleration was positively related to IVLR at all lower limb locations (