It is not uncommon for pregnant women to experience a certain amount of looseness in their knees, due to their pregnancy. But once the baby is born, do their joints return to their pre-pregnancy condition? Neil Segal, MD, MS, a physiatrist in the Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, talks about a study that may answer that question:
What is the premise for this study on the effects of pregnancy on the legs and feet?
Women are at elevated risk for a number of joint and muscle problems later in life. We know that joints can be looser during pregnancy as those changes help with pregnancy and delivery.
However, we don't know whether this joint looseness is present after pregnancy is completed. We also don't know if having more pregnancies might lead to more joint looseness. We're conducting this study to see whether the knee joint is looser—that is whether it has more motion—in women who have been pregnant, compared to women who have not been pregnant.
Who are you asking to participate in the study?
Were inviting women between the ages of 18 and 45, who are not currently pregnant, to participate.
What will the women be asked to do as part of the study?
The volunteers come in for a single 15-minute appointment where we ask them questions about their health, having to do with pregnancies, joint injuries, and knee pain. Then we measure the flexibility of their knees with them lying on an examination table.
How long will the study run?
We'll be conducting it for another two weeks.
Based on the findings of this study, what might change or be studied closer with regard to pregnancy and the legs and feet?
If we find that carrying more pregnancies increases looseness of the knee joint, we could design simple and inexpensive ways to minimize this effect. This research is important because it could be the first step in reducing knee problems in women.
If a woman is interested in learning more about participating in this study, who should she contact?
Contact our women's health research team at 319-335-7900 or me at 319-335-7554. In addition to this study for younger women, our team is continuously conducting studies to try to help men and women with knee arthritis to have less pain and walk more easily. So listeners with interest could contact us at those numbers about knee arthritis at any time. |
