IMMEDIATE EFFECTS OF ACUTE EXPERIMENTAL WEIGHT GAIN ON FEMORAL ARTICULAR CARTILAGE DEFORMATION FOLLOWING WALKING

IMMEDIATE EFFECTS OF ACUTE EXPERIMENTAL WEIGHT GAIN ON FEMORAL ARTICULAR CARTILAGE DEFORMATION FOLLOWING WALKING Public Deposited

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Creator

Perrella, Cassie
- Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Exercise and Sport Science

Abstract

The hallmark characteristic of knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a decline in cartilage health. Weight gain increases joint stress and is a primary risk factor for OA. The purpose of this study was to compare the change in femoral articular cartilage cross- sectional area (ΔCSA) following a non-weighted versus weighted walking protocol, and to determine the association between ΔCSA and QBM. ΔCSA was measured using a diagnostic ultrasound before and after walking. We found no significant difference in ΔCSA between conditions. QBM was not associated with ΔCSA in the non-weighted (r=0.027, ∆R2 = 0.004, p = 0.731) or weighted (r=0.046, ∆R2 = 0.003, p = 0.762) conditions. Participants responded to non-weighted walking by remaining constant, decreasing, or increasing in CSA and were placed into groups. We found a significant interaction effect for ΔCSA between groups and condition (F2,29 = 6.384, p = 0.005), suggesting that cartilage’s response to load may be non-uniform.

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