Science

Killer heels could lead to osteoarthritis in knees

Stanford University scientists have found that every time a woman puts on a pair of stilettos she is putting dangerous levels of strain on her joints. And for women who are overweight the damage is even worse.

An estimated eight million people in Britain have some degree of osteoarthritis, the destruction of cartilage, the body's built-in shock absorber. And the incurable condition is more common in women than men.

In the latest study, published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research, scientists recruited 14 healthy women and scanned their knees as they walked wearing different types of shoes. Researchers examined the angle of the knee as the women's feet struck the ground, as well as when they came to rest.

The results showed the higher the heels, the more likely it was the knees were bent when shoes made contact with the ground - increasing the strain on the knee joint. Similar effects were seen when the women stopped walking.

The researchers said wearing killer heels or at least three and a half inches made the women's knees look more like aged or damaged joints with the effect even more pronounced for overweight women.