Most important knee exercise helps stop pain, gets you back on court

by Dr. John Aronen

The right knee and thigh muscles are well defined. The vastus medialis obliquus, the most important muscle of the knee, is just above and to the inside of the kneecap.

Basically, a joint is a junction of two bones designed to allow motion of one bone on the other. The knee consists of two joints:

asically, a joint is a junction of two bones designed to allow motion of one bone on the other. The knee consists of two joints:

• The “hinge joint,” with which everyone is familiar.
• The “kneecap joint,” with which not many people are familiar.

  The hinge joint consists of the thigh bone (femur) and the shin bone (tibia) and medically is called the tibiofemoral joint.

  The kneecap joint consists of the kneecap (patella) and the thigh bone (femur) and medically is called the patellofemoral joint.

  Each bone of these two joints has specific sites on it that are designed to be the points of contact of the bones during motion of the knee.

  To ensure that these specific sites are continuously lined up to be in contact with each other during knee motion requires stabilization of the bones.

  This stabilization is provided primarily by the thigh muscles, with the quadriceps muscles being the most important contributors. Knowing this, one can understand why regaining or maintaining sufficient strength of the quadriceps muscles is necessary to prevent and treat knee injuries.

  Fortunately, there is a simple exercise you can do to regain and maintain sufficient strength of your quadriceps.

  There are four quadricep muscles. Of these four, one, the vastus medialis obli-quus, or VMO, is the key. This is true for two reasons.

  First, the VMO is the key muscle for the stabilization of the two joints of the knee, especially the kneecap or patellofemoral joint.

  Second, the VMO is the key muscle to use as your evaluator to determine:

The “hinge joint,” with which everyone is familiar.

• The “kneecap joint,” with which not many people are familiar.

  The hinge joint consists of the thigh bone (femur) and the shin bone (tibia) and medically is called the tibiofemoral joint.

  The kneecap joint consists of the kneecap (patella) and the thigh bone (femur) and medically is called the patellofemoral joint.

  Each bone of these two joints has specific sites on it that are designed to be the points of contact of the bones during motion of the knee.

  To ensure that these specific sites are continuously lined up to be in contact with each other during knee motion requires stabilization of the bones.

  This stabilization is provided primarily by the thigh muscles, with the quadriceps muscles being the most important contributors. Knowing this, one can understand why regaining or maintaining sufficient strength of the quadriceps muscles is necessary to prevent and treat knee injuries.

  Fortunately, there is a simple exercise you can do to regain and maintain sufficient strength of your quadriceps.

  There are four quadricep muscles. Of these four, one, the vastus medialis obli-quus, or VMO, is the key. This is true for two reasons.

  First, the VMO is the key muscle for the stabilization of the two joints of the knee, especially the kneecap or patellofemoral joint.

  Second, the VMO is the key muscle to use as your evaluator to determine:

 

The hinge joint consists of the thigh bone (femur) and the shin bone (tibia) and medically is called the tibiofemoral joint.

The kneecap joint consists of the kneecap (patella) and the thigh bone (femur) and medically is called the patellofemoral joint.

Each bone of these two joints has specific sites on it that are designed to be the points of contact of the bones during motion of the knee.

To ensure that these specific sites are continuously lined up to be in contact with each other during knee motion requires stabilization of the bones.

This stabilization is provided primarily by the thigh muscles, with the quadriceps muscles being the most important contributors. Knowing this, one can understand why regaining or maintaining sufficient strength of the quadriceps muscles is necessary to prevent and treat knee injuries.

Fortunately, there is a simple exercise you can do to regain and maintain sufficient strength of your quadriceps.

There are four quadricep muscles. Of these four, one, the vastus medialis obli-quus, or VMO, is the key. This is true for two reasons.

First, the VMO is the key muscle for the stabilization of the two joints of the knee, especially the kneecap or patellofemoral joint.

Second, the VMO is the key muscle to use as your evaluator to determine:

• If you have sufficient strength of your quadriceps, and if not …
• If you are doing the exercises correctly to regain sufficient strength of your quadriceps, and …
• When you have regained sufficient strength of your quadriceps.

  The VMO is the muscle located just above and to the inside of your kneecap and can be seen when you tighten your thigh muscles, as shown above.

  Determining if you have sufficient strength of your quadriceps is simple—the size and tone (firmness) of the VMO of the thigh of your bad knee should be equal to the size and tone of the VMO of the thigh of your good knee.

  To be able to compare the size and tone of your VMOs, you must use a method of tightening your thigh muscles that results in a firm contraction or tightening of the VMO.

  One method is to sit on the edge of a chair with your knees straight and your heels on the floor and tighten your thigh muscles as if you were trying to push the back of your knees toward the floor.

  To compare one VMO to the other, tighten your right and left thigh muscles at the same time and, while holding them tight:

If you have sufficient strength of your quadriceps, and if not …

• If you are doing the exercises correctly to regain sufficient strength of your quadriceps, and …
• When you have regained sufficient strength of your quadriceps.

  The VMO is the muscle located just above and to the inside of your kneecap and can be seen when you tighten your thigh muscles, as shown above.

  Determining if you have sufficient strength of your quadriceps is simple—the size and tone (firmness) of the VMO of the thigh of your bad knee should be equal to the size and tone of the VMO of the thigh of your good knee.

  To be able to compare the size and tone of your VMOs, you must use a method of tightening your thigh muscles that results in a firm contraction or tightening of the VMO.

  One method is to sit on the edge of a chair with your knees straight and your heels on the floor and tighten your thigh muscles as if you were trying to push the back of your knees toward the floor.

  To compare one VMO to the other, tighten your right and left thigh muscles at the same time and, while holding them tight:

 

The VMO is the muscle located just above and to the inside of your kneecap and can be seen when you tighten your thigh muscles, as shown above.

Determining if you have sufficient strength of your quadriceps is simple—the size and tone (firmness) of the VMO of the thigh of your bad knee should be equal to the size and tone of the VMO of the thigh of your good knee.

To be able to compare the size and tone of your VMOs, you must use a method of tightening your thigh muscles that results in a firm contraction or tightening of the VMO.

One method is to sit on the edge of a chair with your knees straight and your heels on the floor and tighten your thigh muscles as if you were trying to push the back of your knees toward the floor.

To compare one VMO to the other, tighten your right and left thigh muscles at the same time and, while holding them tight:

• Compare the size of the VMO of your bad knee against the size of the VMO of your good knee with observation.
• Compare the firmness of the VMO of your bad knee against the firmness of the VMO of your good knee by pressing on the VMOs with your index fingers at the same time.

  If the VMO of your bad knee is smaller in size and/or not as firm as the VMO of your good knee, then you lack sufficient strength of your quadriceps and need to perform the following exercise.

  Sit on the edge of a chair with your knee straight and your heel on the floor. Then tighten your thigh muscles as if you were trying to push the back of your knee toward the floor. Once your thigh muscles are tightened and you can see and feel your VMO, hold them tight for six seconds, and then relax your thigh muscles for two seconds.

  One set consists of six to eight tightening episodes of six seconds followed by two seconds of rest.

  Ideally, you will perform sets of this exercise numerous times during the day. Your goal is to regain and maintain sufficient strength of your quadriceps—in other words, retain and maintain the size and tone of the VMO of your bad knee equal to the VMO of your good knee.

Compare the size of the VMO of your bad knee against the size of the VMO of your good knee with observation.

• Compare the firmness of the VMO of your bad knee against the firmness of the VMO of your good knee by pressing on the VMOs with your index fingers at the same time.

  If the VMO of your bad knee is smaller in size and/or not as firm as the VMO of your good knee, then you lack sufficient strength of your quadriceps and need to perform the following exercise.

  Sit on the edge of a chair with your knee straight and your heel on the floor. Then tighten your thigh muscles as if you were trying to push the back of your knee toward the floor. Once your thigh muscles are tightened and you can see and feel your VMO, hold them tight for six seconds, and then relax your thigh muscles for two seconds.

  One set consists of six to eight tightening episodes of six seconds followed by two seconds of rest.

  Ideally, you will perform sets of this exercise numerous times during the day. Your goal is to regain and maintain sufficient strength of your quadriceps—in other words, retain and maintain the size and tone of the VMO of your bad knee equal to the VMO of your good knee.

 

If the VMO of your bad knee is smaller in size and/or not as firm as the VMO of your good knee, then you lack sufficient strength of your quadriceps and need to perform the following exercise.

Sit on the edge of a chair with your knee straight and your heel on the floor. Then tighten your thigh muscles as if you were trying to push the back of your knee toward the floor. Once your thigh muscles are tightened and you can see and feel your VMO, hold them tight for six seconds, and then relax your thigh muscles for two seconds.

One set consists of six to eight tightening episodes of six seconds followed by two seconds of rest.

Ideally, you will perform sets of this exercise numerous times during the day. Your goal is to regain and maintain sufficient strength of your quadriceps—in other words, retain and maintain the size and tone of the VMO of your bad knee equal to the VMO of your good knee.