Range of Movements of Lower Limb Joints in Cross-Legged Sitting Posture

Cross-legged sitting posture is integral to activities of daily living in Eastern and Asian cultures. This posture has not been studied or defined in any significant detail from an orthopedic view point. The movements of right lower limb joints were measured in cross-legged sitting posture in 44 volunteers from the Indian population with no prior history of problems related to the knee or hip joint. Flexion at the hip joint ranged from 82° to 100°, with a mean of 91°. Abduction at the hip joint ranged from 19° to 57°, with a mean of 39°. The external rotation ranged from 42° to 58°, with a mean of 49°. Flexion at the knee ranged from 126° to 142°, with a mean of 135°.Equinus at the ankle ranged from 17° to 34°, with a mean of 29°. The resultant data would be useful in understanding kinematics of the knee and hip in the healthy and post–total joint arthroplasty population. The data could be used for design features of prosthetic joints, surgical technique, and rehabilitation protocols. Such data have not been available hitherto in any relevant published literature.