for bachelors of physiotherapy

1. BY : NAVNEET KAUR

2.  The kinetic chain (sometimes called the kinematic chain) is an
engineering concept used to describe human movement. It is used in
a wide variety of clinical conditions, including musculoskeletal,
sports medicine, neuro-rehabilitation etc.
 The concept was introduced by Franz Reuleaux, a mechanical
engineer, in 1875. He proposed that rigid, overlapping segments
were connected via joints and this created a system whereby
movement at one joint produced or affected movement at another
joint in the kinetic link.
 This series or chains can be closed or open

3. Steindler defined an open kinetic chain as “a
combination of successively arranged joints in which
the terminal segments can move freely”. Thus the
distal segment of the extremity is free to move in
space, for example: waving a hand, moving the foot
during the swing phase of gait, or doing a seated knee
extension.

4. • Open kinetic chain exercises are typically characterized by a rotary
stress pattern at the joint. For example, when doing a seated knee-
extension the primary stress to the joint is the rotation of the distal tibia
on the proximal femur even though other accessory movements like
rolling and translation occur.
• Open kinetic chain movements occur in one primary axis. During the
seated knee extension exercise, the motion primarily occurs in the
sagittal plane.

5. The number of simultaneously moving segments is
typically limited to one. "One segment of the joint
(i.e. femur) remains stationary during the knee-
extension exercise, while the other segment that
forms the joint (i.e. tibia) is mobile." This adds
control to the exercise because of the stability of
the stationary segment (i.e. femur).
These types of exercises allow for more isolated
muscle activation because less muscle co-
contraction is used to perform the movement.

7. oIt is a system where neither the proximal nor
the distal segments can move.
o Movement at one segment in the closed chain
moves all the other joints predictably.
o For example, during a squat, the movement at
the knee joint accompanies movement at the hip
and ankle joints.

8.  Using the standing squat as an example
-
 Linear stress pattern is produced at the
tibiofemoral joint due to axial joint
loading
 Movement occurs at multiple joints and
multiple-joint axes at the hip, knee,
ankle (talocrural), and subtalar joints
 Simultaneous movement occurs at both
segments
 Because of the simultaneous segmental
movement, an increase in muscular co-
contraction is required to stabilize and
control the movements across the joints
in the chain

9. CLOSED CHAIN KINETICS

10. Open kinetic chain execises focus a great
concentration of work on a targeted joint or
muscle.
In most cases, open kinetic chain exercises are
single joint movement.

11. For eg, when performing leg extension
exercise, the only movement occurs at
knee joint which targets the quadriceps.
In this exercise lower leg is the most
distal segment moving.
The lower leg freely moving in space
during exercise makes it an open kinetic
chain exercise.

12. OPEN
CHAIN
KINETIC
EXECISE
S
LOWER BODY
 Knee extension
 Knee flexion [leg curl]
 Seated leg raise
UPPER BODY
 Bench press
 Shoulder press
 Elbow flexion
 Elbow extension

13. USES OF
CLOSED
KINETIC
CHAIN
EXERCISES
Closed kinetic chain exercises focus more
on moving body against the ground.
For eg, in squat exercise the feet plant
firmly on ground and do not move. Rather
the body moves against the ground.
As you descend in squat, the knees and
hips flex, but the feet do not move.
The feet are distal segment of this exercise
and they stay stationary. Therefore,the
squat is a closed kinetic chain exercise.

14. CLOSED
CHAIN
KINETIC
EXECISES
LOWER BODY
Squat
Deadlift
UPPER BODY
Push up
Pull up

15. THANK YOU