Iliotibial band syndrome

Grades of iliotibial friction injuries

Injury is divided into 5 grades:

• Grade 1: pain does not occur during normal activity, but generalised pain is felt about 1 to 3 hours after sport-specific training has ended; tenderness usually resolves within 24 hours without intervention

• Grade 2: minimal pain is present towards the end of a training run; performance is not affected

• Grade 3: pain is present at an earlier onset of training, and interferes with the speed and duration of a training session

• Grade 4: pain restricts training and is also noticeable during activities of daily living; the athlete can no longer continue sport-specific training

• Grade 5: pain interferes with training as well as activities of daily living.