Articular cartilage changes in women with knee hyperextension gait pattern

The onset and progression of knee osteoarthritis (OA) has been associated with the mechanical environment of the articular cartilage during walking. Knee hyperextension (KH), an underrepresented condition typically define as more than 5° of extension, produces increased contact stress on the articular cartilage and joint instability. Studies underscore the need for establishing the relationship between KH and knee OA. This pilot study aimed to identify tibiofemoral cartilage changes in people with KH. We hypothesized that people with KH would show degenerative osteoarthritic changes express as thinning of the tibiofemoral cartilage. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and three-dimensional (3D) modelling of the knee cartilage, this study showed that compared to control thickness values data, women with KH showed a significant difference in thinning of the tibiofemoral articular cartilage of 1 mm. This study substantiates that abnormal sagittal-plane mechanics can adversely influence the health of the articular cartilage.