Kate Senini & Jacinda GruebnerPure Physio

www.purephysio.com.au

The knee joint consists of:

Bones

Muscles

Ligaments

Cartilage

Nerves

Blood Vessels

The knee is located between the hip and the ankle…

It is therefore affected by what occurs at the hip joint and at the ankle joint…

The muscles are particularly important in understanding injury & its prevention

Need to consider active functional stability

The cartilage and ligaments are often susceptible to injury when under load and in rotated or flexed positions

Need to consider passive stability and their limitations

Nerve endings within the joint and within the muscles and ligaments are important in joint function & stability

Blood supply varies within the knee joint and will affect healing capability of damaged structures

Knee joint flexes and extends

Knee actually has a small degree of rotation!

Excessive rotation occurs when the hip joint and/or ankle joint rotate inwards

This places abnormal stress on the knee joint

Full flexion…

The deep squat

Different variations affect trunk positioning therefore different forces through the knee

Eccentric Loading…

Box jumps, Sprinting, Skipping, Power clean/snatch etc

Consider poor technique as well…

Twisting…

Shuttle Runs, Burpees over bar/box (depending on technique used)

Meniscal tears

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Ligament Sprains (ACL vs MCL)

Joint Cartilage damage

Patella tendonitis

ITB friction Syndrome

Muscle strains

Correct your biomechanics : Posture & Muscle Patterning

Learn to activate and strengthen the deep abdominal and gluteal muscles…then train them for specific cross fit activity

Strengthen the specific knee muscles to a level that equates to the load & endurancerequired (Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Calves)

Stretch and release the anterior & lateral hip muscles, quadriceps & calves (ball or foam roller)

Ensure your thoracic spine is mobilised and lumbar spine is stretched

Address your technique with specific thought to which muscles you are using during each exercise.

Pelvic tuck hip flexor Stretch

Quadriceps Stretch

Gluteal Stretch

Hamstring stretch

Calf Stretch

Lumbar Spine stretch

Thoracic Spine Mobilisation

Pec Stretch (Arm Openings)

Lat Stretch (Shell Stretch)

Foam Roller – mobilisation

& massage

Aim to achieve strength of the lower limbs with symmetry of the pelvis

Floor mat deep abdominal & upper abdominal activation and dissociation

Foam Roller- deep abdominal & gluteals Glute medius against the wall Single leg squat/stepdown/step up Scooter/Running man Leap & land Addition of bosu/wobble cushion for balance and

proprioception Integration of global muscles CROSSFIT