Effect of Corrective Exercises on Dynamic Knee Valgus

Dynamic knee valgus (DKV) is a movement pattern of the lower limb potentially consisting of a combination of adduction and internal rotation of the femur, knee abduction, tibial anterior translation, tibial external rotation and ankle eversion. Average "normal" performance during a fall jump landing mission knee valgus angle should be in the range of 7-13 degrees in women and 3-8 degrees in men. This faulty movement pattern is a common dysfunction observed in the lower limb during dynamic activities. On the other hand, this is reported to be the underlying mechanism of knee injuries. Changes in knee valgus increase abnormal stresses on the tibiofemoral joint and increase the risk of injuries such as anterior cruciate ligament injuries, patellofemoral pain, iliotibial band syndrome, chronic ankle instability, acute lateral ankle sprains. The main cause of DKV is deficits in neuromuscular control and therefore injury prevention and rehabilitation strategies focus on improving neuromuscular control to avoid these injury mechanisms. There are conflicting results in the literature regarding which of the exercise approaches is superior for DKV, and there is a lack of studies evaluating 2D movement analysis, muscle mechanics and performance of corrective exercise training. Identifying individuals with abnormal movement patterns and those at risk is important to prevent future injuries. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of corrective exercises on lower extremity biomechanics and performance in individuals with asymptomatic dynamic knee valgus.