Feel Better Knees: Anatomy and Loads

About this episode

Katy Bowman and Dr. Jeannette Loram discuss knee health, its anatomy, and practical strategies for improving knee function.

Biomechanist Katy Bowman and biologist Dr. Jeannette Loram explore the prevalence and underlying causes of knee issues, from popping and noisy knees to everyday pain and osteoarthritis. The knee is not just a simple hinge, and Katy explains its anatomy using a helpful “cube” model that includes bones, ligaments, cartilage, and the meniscus. Together, they clarify the difference between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis and examine how movement patterns influence the forces and loads placed across the knee joint. Katy and Jeannette share practical strategies for changing knee loading through gait retraining, along with tools to improve muscle strength, stability, and proprioception to help protect ligaments and cartilage. They also discuss why women tend to experience more knee problems due to hormonal and biomechanical factors, and why prehab and post-surgery exercise training play a critical role in achieving better outcomes after knee surgery. Enhanced Show Notes and Full Transcript 00:00 Introduction: The prevalence of knee issues and arthritis 02:00 Why movement and position matter for knee health 04:08 Sponsors: The Dynamic Collective 05:58 The knee as a “cube,” not…

People in this episode

Host: Katy Bowman

Guest: Dr. Jeannette Loram

Topics covered

• knee health
• biomechanics
• osteoarthritis
• gait retraining
• women's health
• exercise rehabilitation

Keywords

• knee issues
• osteoarthritis
• gait retraining
• ligaments
• cartilage
• muscle strength
• proprioception
• women's knee problems

Sponsors

The Dynamic Collective

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