Abstract: Objective: The purpose of this study was to measure the kinematics of the lower limbs of Chinese people during normal kneeling activity, as such data could be valuable in designing joint prosthesis and arthroplasty that meet the needs of Chinese citizens’ daily activities. Methods: Thirty young and twenty elderly Chinese participants with no personal history of joint diseases were recruited, and matched by age (average age: 23.8 years for the young group, 60.8 years for the elderly group). Each participant performed six trials during which three-dimensional (3D) kinematics data were collected and the means of the 3D angles of the ankle, knee, and hip joints of two groups were calculated. Results: There were no obvious differences between the two groups in the knee and ankle joints. The mean range of knee flexion was 139.6° for the young group and 140.9° for the elderly group. The mean range of ankle flexion was 35.7° for the young group and 37.6° for the elderly group. The maximal eccentric flexion at the hip joint was 67.5° for the young group compared to 100.5° for the elderly group. Conclusions: The elderly uses more hip flexion angles than the young when assuming the kneeling posture. The ranges of motion obtained during kneeling activity are greater than the reported mean ranges of motion achieved following joint arthroplasty. The data could be valuable in establishing criteria for lower limb prosthetics and rehabilitation protocol for the Chinese population.

Key words: Joint angle, Kneeling, Kinematics, Chinese people

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