Analysis of thermal patterns in the knee: Comparative study between athletes and sedentary individuals

Knee Thermal Patterns: Athletes vs. Sedentary Individuals

Abstract

Infrared thermography is a non-invasive technique that detects skin-emitted radiation, providing insights into body temperature and identifying thermal changes related to inflammatory or degenerative processes. This study aimed to compare knee temperatures between sedentary individuals and athletes and to evaluate differences between the anterior and posterior knee regions. A convenience sample included 32 men, 16 sedentary individuals (1.71 ± 0.05 m; 71.7 ± 11 kg; BMI: 24.5 ± 0.39 kg/m²) and 16 athletes (1.79 ± 0.06 m; 73.29 ± 11 kg; BMI: 22.84 ± 2.52 kg/m²). Temperature assessments were conducted using infrared thermography. The results showed that the posterior knee region consistently exhibited higher temperatures than the anterior region in sedentary individuals (p < .001) and athletes (p < .001). Sedentary individuals had lower knee temperatures compared to athletes, both in the posterior regions (right: p = .0006; left: p = .0035) and anterior (right: p < .0001; left: p = .0009). These findings highlight that physical training influences localised thermal responses, with athletes demonstrating higher average knee temperatures and a consistent temperature gradient between the posterior and anterior regions in both groups.