Article

Walking is a popular form of exercise and is associated with many health
benefits; however, frontal-plane knee joint loading brought about by a large
internal knee-abduction moment and cyclic loading could lead to cartilage
degeneration over time. Therefore, knee joint mechanics during an alternative
walking exercise needs to be analyzed. The purpose of this study was to examine
the lower-extremity joint mechanics in the frontal and sagittal planes during
incline walking. Fifteen healthy males walked on a treadmill at five gradients
(0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) at 1.34m/s, and lower-extremity joint mechanics in
the frontal and sagittal planes were quantified. The peak internal knee-abduction
moment significantly decreased from the level walking condition at all gradients
except 5%. Also, a negative relationship between the internal knee-abduction
moment and the treadmill gradient was found to exist in 10% increments (0-10%,
5-15%, and 10-20%). The decrease in the internal knee-abduction moment during
incline walking could have positive effects on knee joint health such as
potentially reducing cartilage degeneration of the knee joint, reducing pain, and
decreasing the rate of development of medial tibiofemoral osteoarthritis. This
would be beneficial for a knee surgery patient, obese persons, and older adults
who are using incline walking for rehabilitation and exercise protocols. Findings
from the current study can provide guidance for the development of rehabilitation
and exercise prescriptions incorporating incline walking.
CI - Copyright (c) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS