The Asian Journal of Kinesiology This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. 20 | The Asian Journal of Kinesiology Original Research ABSTRACT BACKGROUND Current research on genu varum shows the favorable influence of exercise on the biomechanics of the knee joint by reducing the static malalignment and mechanical imbalances, however the transference to a more optimum gait has not been investigated. OBJECTIVES To investigate the efects of Pilates exercise on the changes of gait and lower limb malalignment in female students with genu varum. METHODS A total of 23 female college students with verifed genu varum participated in this study. The participants were randomly assigned to two groups a Pilates exercise group (n=15) and a control group (n=8). The Pilates exercise group participated in 1 hour Pilates exercise 3 times per week for a total of 10 weeks. Each of the participants had an X-ray and performed gait 5 times before and after the exercise treatment. The participants kinetic and kinematic data were gathered using an eight Vicon Motion camera system and two force platforms. RESULTS For the Pilates group gait their maximum extension and internal rotation knee moment, and maximum adduction and internal rotation hip moment signifcantly increased, while the maximum knee moment fexion decreased. For the control group gait their maximum hip extension and hip adduction moment signifcantly decreased. For the Pilates group there was a signifcant reduction in the distance from the anatomical axis to the weight bearing line in the left leg, but there was no signifcant change for the control group. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that Pilates exercise may be benefcial for females with genu varum by helping to improve both their static alignment and helping their gait to become more balanced. A Biomechanical Analysis of the Efect of Pilates Exercise on Female College Students with Knee Joint Deformity Okhee Song 1 , Kook-Eun Seo 1 , David Michael O’Sullivan 1* , Jung-Jun Park 1** 1 Division of Sport Science, Pusan National University, Republic of Korea Received: March 23, 2021 Accepted: June 14, 2021 Published online: July 31, 2021 Keywords: Biomechanics Female Students Genu Varum Knee Deformity Pilates © The Asian Society of Kinesiology and the Korean Academy of Kinesiology Asian J Kinesiol 2021; 23(3): 20-28 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.15758/ajk.2021.23.3.20 Correspondence: * David Michael O’Sullivan, Division of Sport Science, Pusan National University, 2 Busandaehak-ro 63beon-gil, Geumjeong-gu, Busan, Rep. of Korea; Tel: +82-10-3285- 1626; E-mail: davidosullivan@pusan.ac.kr ** Jung-Jun Park, Division of Sport Science, Pusan National University, 2 Busandaehak- ro 63beon-gil, Geumjeong-gu, Busan, Rep. of Korea; Tel: +82-10-7684-5811; E-mail: jjparkpnu@pusan.ac.kr Introduction Genu varum of the knee joint causes gait impairment, which then induces structural and dysfunction of the joint [1-5]. Te lower limb misalignment means that loads are unevenly distributed either medially or laterally, which causes movement disorders, osteoarthritis, muscle imbalances and weakness [6] and clinical symptoms of varus and valgus can be demonstrated to negatively afect the quality of life due to physical impairments [7,8]. Varus malalignment affects the ability of a person to walk for extended times due to fatigue, and as time passes, the weight of the knee joint is concentrated unevenly, shortening the life span of the joint [9,10]. Tese symptoms