ABSTRACT
Kneeling is required by many occupations, such as mining, baggage handling, building construction, and agricultural work. It is also a critical part of life in the Middle East and Asia for religious or cultural reasons. Since kneeling is an important and common activity, it is natural that people have a desire to investigate its effects on the health of the knee joint. Previous studies have shown that kneeling and crouching can increase the risk of knee injuries (Jensen and Eenberg 1996; Coggon et al. 2000; McMillan and Nichols 2005). A dose-response relationship between kneeling and knee disorders has also been reported (Jensen 2005; Klussmann et al. 2010). While the exact mechanisms for these diseases are not clear, excessive cartilage stress could be one explanation. Therefore, the determination of stress distribution plays an important role in understanding and preventing knee injuries associated with kneeling.
