U-District Physical Therapy

Knee pain and ankle biomechanics

Knee pain is a common complaint of people who seek out physical therapy. When examining a client who comes in with knee pain our physical therapist’s at U-District will not only look at the knee but will also examine the hip and ankle to determine the cause of the pain symptoms. For this blog, ankle biomechanics will be discussed in relationship to the potential for faulty mechanics that can lead to knee pain.
First the foot and ankle complex is made up of several joints that result in the overall motion that can be observed when a person moves. The movements of the foot and ankle include dorsiflexion (when the toes come closer to the front of the knee), plantar flexion (when the toes are pointed), pronation (when the arch moves closer to the ground) and supination (when the arch moves away from the ground). When an individual has too much of or lacks one or more of these motions it can lead to pain in the foot and/or ankle, the knee or the hip.
Excessive pronation during walking often leads to complaints of medial knee and/or patella-femoral pain. This occurs because pronation occurring at the wrong time during walking, going up and down stairs, squatting or any other activities increases the potential for abnormal stress to be placed on the inside structures of the knee and can result in an increased net lateral pull of the quadriceps or iliotibial band on the patella/knee cap.
In the opposite extreme, excessive supination or not enough pronation can also lead to knee pain. Not enough pronation leads to decreased shock absorption by the foot and ankle and then the force of impact is taken up to the knee. This type of knee pain will most likely be seen in people who perform repetitive load bearing activities such as running and jumping.
As explained above, faulty biomechanics in the foot and ankle may lead to knee pain. At U-District, our physical therapists will look at strength, flexibility, range of motion, balance and proprioception and potential foot orthoses or shoe recommendations to address a client’s knee pain.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call or email us. Aaryn Hieb, DPT