Loading of the knee joint during ergometer cycling: telemetric in vivo data

Kutzner I, et al. · Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy

Peak tibiofemoral force at 60W/40rpm was ~119% bodyweight — roughly half the load of level walking — with tiny shear forces (5-7% BW); force rose with power and fell with higher cadence. Direct in vivo proof that cycling is a genuinely low-load way to move the knee.

Population

9 subjects with telemetric instrumented knee implants (~15 months post-TKA)

Intervention

Ergometer cycling at varied power, cadence and seat height with direct force measurement

Comparator

Within-subject; compared to walking loads from the same instrumented-implant program

Limitations

Instrumented TKA patients, not native knees; small n; loads at higher power outputs approach walking.