Effects of knee joint angle and tilt table incline on force distribution at the feet and supporting straps

Objective: To investigate the effects of tilt table incline and knee flexion angle on the degree of weight bearing and forces exerted across the supporting straps. Design: A quantitative and exploratory study to investigate the effects of a mechanical procedure. Setting: Physiotherapy gymnasium. Sub...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinical rehabilitation 2003-12, Vol.17 (8), p.871-878
Main Authors: Morgan, Claire L, Cullen, Gerard P, Stokes, Maria, Swan, Anthony V
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Applied physiology
Biological and medical sciences
Biomechanical Phenomena
Body Weight
Contracture - physiopathology
Distribution
Ergonomics. Work place. Occupational physiology
Female
Human physiology applied to population studies and life conditions. Human ecophysiology
Humans
Knee Joint - physiology
Knees
Least-Squares Analysis
Male
Mechanical forces
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Nervous System Diseases - rehabilitation
Physical Therapy Modalities
Physiotherapy
Weight-Bearing
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Summary:Objective: To investigate the effects of tilt table incline and knee flexion angle on the degree of weight bearing and forces exerted across the supporting straps. Design: A quantitative and exploratory study to investigate the effects of a mechanical procedure. Setting: Physiotherapy gymnasium. Subjects: Twelve healthy subjects (9 female, 3 male) aged 22–45 years. Interventions: Subjects stood on a tilt table, on two occasions, with simulated contractures of 10° and 40° knee flexion. Nine tilt angles, between 10° and 90°, were maintained for 1 minute each in random order. Main outcome measures: Force was recorded from single-point load cells placed under the feet, and at knee and chest straps. Results: The degree of simulated knee contracture (10° or 40°) influenced the distribution of forces at different recording sites. Weight bearing increased with table incline and was significantly less with the 40° than the 10° knee angle (p < 0.001). Conversely, forces across the knee straps were systemically higher with the 40° knee angle (p < 0.0001). The effects were accentuated by greater body weight. Forces across the chest strap also increased with tilt and were significantly larger with the 40° knee angle (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The relationships between table incline, angle of knee flexion and distribution of forces generated during tilt table standing have been quantified and described. Standing with flexed knees involved less weight bearing under the feet and greater force exerted across the supporting straps. These effects were more pronounced at the higher knee angle and with greater body weight, and could be modified by reducing table incline.
ISSN:0269-2155
1477-0873
DOI:10.1191/0269215503cr691oa