The effects of pediatric obesity on patellofemoral joint contact force during walking.
Namwoong Kim, Raymond C Browning, Zachary F Lerner
PMID 31374438WHAT IT FOUND
Obese children had higher kneecap joint load than healthy-weight children at the second peak and averaged across walking, but first peak and body-weight normalized loads were not higher.
Key findings
01Second peak absolute patellofemoral joint contact forces were 2.27 times greater in obese children than healthy-weight children, while first peak forces were not significantly different.
02Averaged across the gait cycle, absolute patellofemoral joint contact forces were 1.98 times greater in obese children than healthy-weight children.
03Patellar-area-normalized patellofemoral joint contact force was 2.21 times greater at the second peak and 1.81 times greater averaged across the gait cycle in obese children.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The sample was small, so the estimates may be unstable. Patellar kinematics and the actual contact area between the kneecap and thigh bone were not measured directly, so the model relies on assumptions about the kneecap. The patellar ligament force and patellar mechanism angle were based on cadaver measurements. Patellofemoral contact force could not be directly validated because no instrumented patellofemoral implant exists. The study did not follow children over time, so it cannot show that these loads cause pain or joint damage.
Declared interests
The article lists NIH extramural and non-U.S. government research support. No author financial conflicts are stated.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these modeled kneecap loads as proof that walking causes knee pain in obese children. The study simulated joint force during treadmill walking and did not track pain or joint damage over time.