It's crucial to bear in mind the significance of challenging knee rotation within a closed kinetic chain. This is due to the fact that many knee injuries occur during weight-bearing activities involving foot planting and rotational stress. In fact, over 80% of ACL tears result from non-contact injuries.
Consider this: What type of movement do knee injuries frequently occur during? Rotation. And yet, it's often the least emphasized aspect of knee training.
Your knee joint is where three leg bones meet: the femur, tibia, and fibula. Ideally, the tibia should have the ability to rotate smoothly, without causing discomfort or relying on compensation from the femur or ankle.
Tibial internal rotation is of utmost importance. It not only facilitates proper meniscus function but also supports dynamic movements such as quick direction changes, cutting, and pivoting.
When tibial internal rotation is restricted, it can disrupt somatosensory input from the knee. This, in turn, alters control strategies and synergies, impairs an athlete's ability to adapt to various constraints, reduces the degrees of freedom required, and essentially confines the knee to a state of limited coordinative variability.
- To perform set up on a mat or pad.
- Internally rotate one of your knees by twisting your foot inward. Press your foot into the ground.
- Take your opposite heel and attempt to push the toes/foot back straight.
- Lift your hips off the ground and slowly rock back & forth