Article

Wearing high heels alters walking kinematics and kinetics and can create
potentially adverse effects on the body. Our purpose was to determine how heel
height affects frontal plane joint moments at the hip, knee, and ankle, with a
specific focus on the knee moment due to its importance in joint loading and knee
osteoarthritis. 15 women completed overground walking using three different heel
heights (1, 5, and 9 cm) for fixed speed (1.3 ms(-1)) and preferred speed
conditions while kinematic and force platform data were collected concurrently.
For both fixed and preferred speeds, peak internal knee abduction moment
increased systematically as heel height increased (fixed: 0.46, 0.48, 0.55 N m
kg(-1); preferred: 0.47, 0.49, 0.53 N m kg(-1)). Heel height effects on net
frontal plane moments of the hip and ankle were similar to those for the knee;
peak joint moments increased as heel height increased. The higher peak internal
knee abduction moment with increasing heel height suggests greater medial loading
at the knee. Kinetic changes at the ankle with increasing heel height may also
contribute to larger medial loads at the knee. Overall, wearing high heels,
particularly those with higher heel heights, may put individuals at greater risk
for joint degeneration and developing medial compartment knee osteoarthritis.
CI - Published by Elsevier B.V.

Langue : ANGLAIS