Blog 5b: Science Fair Proposal

1. What is your topic?

• Fitness

2. What is the driving problem behind your experiment and the quote by an expert to support that problem? (Expert citation must be MLA format.)

• "Runner's knee happens when the kneecap (patella) tracks incorrectly over a groove in the thighbone (femur) known as the femoral groove when you bend and straighten your knee. In healthy knees, the patella rests in the femoral groove and slides easily up and down when you use your knee. But when the patella is out of place, it can irritate the femoral groove and wear away the cartilage beneath the patella, leading to knee pain."
• Atanda, Alfred, Jr., MD. "TeensHealth." Runner's Knee. Teens Health from Nemours, Oct. 2010. Web. 07 Nov. 2012. <http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/sports/runners_knee.html>.

3. What is your hypothesis? (Must be in If-Then form.)

• If a proper shoe arc is used, then the tension on the patellar tendon, when a person is running, will be reduced hence, diminishing the risk of getting runner's knee.

 4. Write a paragraph summary of how you will perform the experiment. Include the tools you plan on using.

• I am going to make a model of the knee with its juxtaposing bones, the patellar tendon, and a foot. In order to make this model I will be using this source as a guide on how to create the model, it includes a detailed list of all the materials needed. However instead of screwing down the 'tibia' I am going to attach a shoe stretcher to the tibia, and will not screw the shoe stretcher down. I need to do that so I can put shoes on the model, and see which shoe will provide less tension to the patellar tendon. The shoe that puts less tension on the patellar tendon will be the shoe to best use while running. 

5. Select one of the following Project Categories for your experiment:
Animal Biology & Physiology