
Are you suffering with runner's knee when running?
In our running biomechanics workshop we discuss anatomy, lower limb mechanics, the integrated system, assessing pronation & supination, dorsi flexion ranges & hip drop. We also discuss normal anatomical variations.
One of the problems with simply looking at the way our client’s run (or move) is that we are often taught (& assume) coaching better alignment & technique can improve symptoms like runners’ knees . . . and it might!
Knock knees or knee valgus is a commonly seen ‘issue’ in running clients but there may be a cause that we cannot see nor alter.
Did you know they could have been born with internally rotated femurs!? This means they could be genetically pre dispositioned to knee valgus, ligament dominance & maybe runners knee!
In this article we will share the femoral version tests with you & how you can learn tactics, concepts & principles to help runners complaining of sore knees . . .
Femoral Version
Femoral means relating to the femur & version relates to angles of the bone/s.
Femoral Anteversion – femur neck medially/internally rotated, towards the midline (maybe with the foot).
Femoral Retroversion – femur neck laterally/externally rotated, away from the midline (maybe with the foot).
This can be assessed to allow us to appreciate the limitations we may be faced with when programming our runners’ strength training plan.
If our client is limited by a bony hip variation that we cannot change then their movement & running style may not be aesthetically comparable to what is suggested as the ideal alignment.
However we can condition & train the muscles & nerves to control the movement for risk reduction / performance optimisation.
This can contribute to reducing excessive knee valgus, hip drop or a visible flick when running – none of which are inherently bad, however can be used for visual monitoring of movement quality.
To score positively you would need to observe more extreme differences i.e. beyond 40-45 degrees of rotation in the femoral version test.
This means that if there’s not much movement generally, then we might alter what we do about it but this is not a positive result for excessive version.
To measure version, have your client supine, hip/knee both at 90 degrees, or prone knee at 90 degree, leg should internal & externally rotate 40-45 degrees to both directions – internal & external rotation.
This could be done prone with the knee flexed to 90 degrees & internal & external rotation of the hip can also be evaluated for the same degrees of rotation.
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