Effect of the position of feet on knee pressure distribution in a tall kneeling position

Introduction: The kneeling position has frequently been associated with a higher prevalence of knee pathologies. People who adopt this position within their work and/or religious activities are more exposed to knee pathologies. In the tall keeling posture, the position of the feet can play an important role in the magnitude of the force and pressure supporting the knee. Methods: The objective of this investigation was to compare the magnitude of the ground reaction force (GRF), the distribution of the support area, pressure and center of pressure (COP) associated with them, in the tall kneeling posture with two different positions of the feet, in order to identify the position in which less pain could be produced and to diminish the potential damage to this joint. Twenty volunteers (age=22.0±1.5 years; weight=70.3±13.5 kg) was assessed. Pressure, contact area, COP and GRF, all within the contact surface between the knees and the floor, as well as the pain described by the volunteers were measured in two different ankle positions: plantar flexion (PF) and dorsiflexion (DF). Post hoc statistical tests were applied with a significant level of 95%. Results: In DF condition was observed: a higher frequency of a single pressure peak (p