How critical are the tibiofemoral joint reaction forces during frequent squatting in Asian populations?

This study examines tibiofemoral joint moments and forces when performing a squat. The relevance of studying such an activity is to understand better the mechanical factors involved in the higher incidence of tibiofemoral osteoarthritis in Asian populations where squatting is a common daily activity. In this study, motion analysis data of walking versus squatting were compared, specifically looking at net external knee flexion moments, ground reaction forces and tibiofemoral contact forces. It was found that while squatting resulted in more than 2.5 times larger peak external moments compared with walking, tibiofemoral contact forces were not significantly different. This was due to reduced ground reaction forces recorded for the squatting phase compared to the larger dynamic effects of deceleration at heel strike during walking. The most significant finding of this study was that in squatting, there was a reversal in the tibiofemoral shear reaction force from posterior-directed to anterior-directed, occurring under full compressive load and within a fraction of a second. It is believed that repeated squatting results in many such reversals in shear reactions that may ultimately have significant implications to the long term mechanical function and structural integrity of the joint cartilage.