Investigation of Time of Day Effects on Knee Joint Loading in People with Knee Osteoarthritis

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disease that affects millions across the United States. Since it is not presently curable, pain management is key for people with OA. People with knee OA should still exercise regularly to delay the progression of OA and preserve overall joint health. It is unclear from the literature if time of day affects knee joint contact forces in individuals with knee OA and how that would affect daily movement patterns. The topic of diurnal rhythms is very prevalent in sports and exercise medicine research; however, there have been no studies to find how joint contact forces vary in people with OA over the course of a day. This study's purpose is to determine the effect of time of day on knee joint contact forces in people with knee joint OA so we can help determine the optimal time for an exercise regimen based on joint loading.