Lower Extremities Biomechanics Patterns of Obese and Normal Body Mass Adults during Stairs Ascent and Descent

Obesity has been clinically implicated with musculoskeletal disorders such as osteoarthritis (OA) as a result of the direct load involving weight bearing joints [18]. Obesity is the number one risk factor for the progression of knee OA and may have long-term adverse effects on the knee joint [9]. The most prominent physical characteristic seen in knee osteoarthritis is joint space narrowing in the medial and lateral tibio-femoral compartments [1]. Sturmer et al., (2000) [18] reported a strong association between obesity and bilateral knee osteoarthritis which may potentially lead to changes in stair ambulation patterns in an obese population. When the joints of the lower extremity have an added load placed on them, joint degeneration occurs. Gait analyses of obese individuals have identified kinematic and kinetic adaptations when compared to normal body mass (normal mass) population [12], however limited research is available when comparing obese individuals to normal mass individuals during ascending and descending stairs.