Natasha presented data comparing how cyclic and sustained squatting exposures influence knee power. The main findings of her work were that acute exposure to sustained squatting cause greater decreases to peak countermovement jump knee power during takeoff than cyclic exposures, when controlling for time in the high knee flexion posture in a healthy, young population. These findings may be especially detrimental to OA populations where a decrease in knee power may affect individual's ability to perform activities of daily living and maintain mobility.
Annemarie presented results from her first thesis study regarding high knee flexion postures frequently adopted by childcare workers. She found that it is likely that childcare workers are at increased risk for OA development based on the frequency and duration of several adopted high flexion postures. This study's findings have motivated the design of her current study, Classification of simulated high knee flexion childcare postures based on EMG and inertial data.
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