RE: Maribeth!
Hey, Kathy,
There are two concerns with squats below 90 degrees--the first is that at 90 degrees and deeper, all 4 of the major tibiofemoral ligaments are slackened, meaning that the tibiofemoral joint is less stable. Under a load, at this depth, any bobble can spell trouble for the meniscus.
The second concern is for people with patellofemoral problems--the deeper the squat, the greater the compressive forces on this joint. For someone like me, with both malalignment and degenerative changes in the cartilage, the deep squats are a double whammy--the compression is really painful, and the pain alters my quad firing, meaning that my tracking is really off, leading to further damage to the back side of my kneecaps.
For people with no meniscus or patellar problems, deep squats, if not done excessively, are probably fine. However, contrary to Krista's statements, they are NOT appropriate for everybody, nor will everybody's problems with deep squats be alleviated by doing them.
I will try to get back more often!
Maribeth
