Women have a wider pelvis than men and a relatively shorter length of the thigh bone. As a result, women have a greater static genu valgum than men, meaning their knees are somewhat "knocked".

Women have a greater internal rotation of the thigh and hip than men, and the combination of these factors increases the contact forces on the kneecap. This may explain why women have twice as much anterior knee pain as men.

Women have greater peak hip adduction. This means that the thigh moves toward the mid line of the body.

Greater hip adduction angle and velocity place greater demand on the muscles responsible for counteracting these movements. For example, greater loads on the butt muscles, particularly gluteus medius, which is three times as likely to be injured in a female runner than male.

Women runners turn out more than men turn out during the entire stance phase of gait. This means that for athletic footwear, touchdown angle and recognition of the difference between touchdown angle is absolutely critical.

The forces generated by women runners are also different to men. Women exhibit greater impact forces than men, and their knees flex less, possibly affecting the knees role as a shock absorber.