1. Kate Senini & Jacinda Gruebner
Pure Physio
www.purephysio.com.au

2. The knee joint consists of:
 Bones
 Muscles
 Ligaments
 Cartilage
 Nerves
 Blood Vessels

3. 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…

4.  The muscles are
particularly
important in
understanding
injury & its
prevention
 Need to consider
active functional
stability

5.  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

6.  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

7.  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

8.  Full flexion…
 The deep squat
 Different variations
affect trunk
positioning therefore
different forces
through the knee

9.  Eccentric Loading…
 Box jumps, Sprinting, Skipping, Power clean/snatch
etc
 Consider poor technique as well…

10.  Twisting…
 Shuttle Runs, Burpees over bar/box
(depending on technique used)

11.  Meniscal tears
 Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
 Ligament Sprains (ACL vs MCL)
 Joint Cartilage damage
 Patella tendonitis
 ITB friction Syndrome
 Muscle strains

12.  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 & endurance
required (Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Calves)

13.  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.

15.  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

16.  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