Effects of Body Weight Modification on Internal Knee Contact Forces During Gait

Obesity is commonly considered a risk factor for the development of knee osteoarthritis [1]. Previous studies have shown that reductions in body weight correspond to reductions in total knee joint compressive forces (as calculated by inverse dynamics) [2–4]. A recent study showed that external knee load measurements are not strong predictors of internal knee contact forces [5]. Therefore, direct measurement of knee contact force is important for understanding how body weight changes impact knee joint loading. Force-measuring knee implants can directly measure internal knee contact forces [6].