The Association Between Peak Knee Adduction Moment and Medial Femoral Articular Cartilage Deformation Following Walking

Undergraduates: Samantha Hammock, Matthew Harkey

Faculty Advisor: Brian Pietrosimone
Department: Exercise & Sport Science

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Knee osteoarthritis is a costly condition that affects cartilage at the joint. Alterations in walking biomechanics are theorized as one cause of OA progression. Knee adduction moment (KAM) is interpreted as a measure of medial compartment load and is associated with OA progression. However, the association between KAM and acute cartilage deformation in healthy individuals remains unknown. Such research would provide valuable information regarding the healthy cartilage response to walking, which may help detect early declines in cartilage function in patients at risk for OA.¿¿The purpose of this study was to determine the association between the magnitude of cartilage deformation immediately following walking and peak adduction moment (KAM) in healthy subjects. Healthy, active young adults participated in this study (n=37). Ultrasound imaging of femoral articular cartilage in the dominant limb was collected before and after walking on a treadmill for 5,000 steps. Walking biomechanics were determined in a motion capture laboratory. KAM was extracted for the dominant limb during the first 50% of the stance phase of gait. Pearson product-moment correlation (r) was used to determine the association between KAM and medial cartilage deformation.¿¿There was no significant association between KAM and medial cartilage deformation after walking (r=0.181, p=0.285). More research is needed to determine which specific walking biomechanics are associated with cartilage deformation.