Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Overweight and obese (OW/OB) children display increased knee joint loading during running, which may lead to excessive frontal plane motion and moments at the knee joints. The relationship between tibial plateau dimensions and knee vertical loading may explain the loading related injuries OW/OB children experience. PURPOSE: Compare knee mechanics during running and tibial plateau dimensions between healthy weight (HW) and OW/OB children. METHODS: Ten HW children and ten OW/OB children aged 9-12 participated in the study. Kinematic and kinetic data were captured as participants ran across a force platform at 3.5m/s. Tibial plateau area and density were collected by peripheral quantitative computed tomography. Frontal and sagittal plane knee angles and moments, vertical ground reaction forces (GRF) and temporal data were calculated. Mass, vertical GRF and joint moments were scaled by tibial plateau dimensions. A series of one-way ANOVAs were performed to compare group differences.RESULTS: OW/OB children displayed greater knee abduction during the stance phase of running. Mass, vertical GRF and knee joint moments scaled by tibial plateau dimensions were greater in the OW/OB group.DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: OW/OB children display different running mechanics and loading patterns compared to HW children. The variables scaled by tibial plateau dimensions indicate that OW/OB children experience excessive loading at the knee during the stance phase of running. The excessive loading may lead to injuries such at ACL tears or osteoarthritis
