Study of net joint forces at tibiofemoral joint for obese and normal subjects / Wan Mohd Radzi Rusli

• Main Author: Wan Mohd Radzi, Rusli
• Format: Thesis
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: RF Otorhinolaryngology; T Technology (General)
• Online Access: http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/7821/1/wan.pdf; http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/7821/
• Institution: Universiti Malaya

Walking and stair ascending are categorized as the activity of daily living (ADL). People who cannot perform these activities will constantly need assistants in performing their basic routine. Osteoarthritis is a well known joint disease that reduces the efficiency of the particular joint in performing basic movements. By using motion capture system and 3-Dimensional modeling of human lower limb, the net joint force at the sagittal plane were obtained and can be used in explaining the onset and progression of osteoarthritis at tibiofemoral joint. In this present study, 18 subjects with no history of joint diseases were recruited and 12 of them had a normal body mass index (BMI) and the remaining 6 experiencing obesity. By using the equations of motion, the net joint force at sagittal plane was obtained. The statistical analysis was completed using SPSS (Statistical Statistics for the Social Sciences). Present results indicate that there was a significant different at the net joint force between walking and stair ascending activities, where both normal and obese groups produce 2480.76N and 3562.38N, during stair ascending compare to 1022.5N and 1603.07N for both groups during walking activity. It was also noted that when comparing the normal and obese group, obese group produce higher net joint force at the tibiofemoral joint, where there was 56.7 percentage of difference during walking activity. This is the same with the obese group, 43.6 percentage of difference. In a nutshell, the net joint force is proportional with the body mass index (BMI). As the body mass index (BMI) increase, the net joint force also increase. If we consider that there are no physiological changes at the tibiofemoral joint, then obesity is the biomechanical factors that contribute to the onset and progression of osteoarthritis at tibiofemoral joint.