What movement does the popliteus muscle perform?
However, when you move your knee to take a step, the popliteus is the muscle that unlocks the joint and flexes the knee. When the knee flexes, the popliteus helps to rotate the tibia inward. It also assists in medial rotation of the knee.
What is the main function of the popliteus muscle?
Despite its small size, the popliteus is a major stabilizer of the knee. The popliteus is involved in both the closed chain phase and open-chain phase of the gait cycle. During the closed chain phase, which is when the foot is in contact with the ground, the muscle externally rotates the femur on the tibia.
How do you treat a strained popliteus muscle?
The treatment for popliteus tendinopathy includes rest, ice application, elevation, an elastic wrap, physical therapy, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication for pain, such as aspirin or ibuprofen. Additional treatment for popliteus tendinopathy may include oral corticosteroids or corticosteroid injections.
What muscle unlocks the knee joint?
popliteus muscle
The popliteus muscle, located in the lower leg, is responsible for “unlocking” the knee joint after extension.
How do you activate the popliteus muscle?
You can activate the muscle by trying to energetically screw drive the heels laterally away from each other. Shin Jive: focus on the internal rotation of the shin to activate the popliteus muscle as you shin jive your way to better knee health.
Why is it called popliteus?
It originates from the femur and the posterior horn of the lateral meniscus, and inserts on the proximal tibia. The popliteus muscle plays an important role in the gait cycle by initiating the flexion of the fully extended (“locked”) knee. Thus, the popliteus is referred to as the “key to unlock the knee”.
What joints does the popliteus cross?
The popliteus appears to act as a dynamic guidance system for monitoring and controlling subtle transverse- and frontal-plane knee joint movements, controlling anterior-posterior lateral meniscus movement, unlocking and internally rotating the knee joint (tibia) during flexion initiation, assisting with 3-dimensional …
What does a Popliteus strain feel like?
Popliteus injury symptoms The main symptom of a Popliteus strain is pain at the back of the knee joint. It can occur gradually through overuse or may result from a sudden twisting, fall or collision. The back of your knee will feel tender when pressing in.
Why is popliteus called the Key of knee joint?
Function. The popliteus assists in flexing the leg upon the thigh; when the leg is flexed, it will rotate the tibia inward. Popliteus is often referred to as the “Key” to unlocking the knee since it begins knee flexion by laterally rotating the femur on the tibia.
What causes pain in the popliteus muscle?
Popliteus muscle strains and tendinopathies most commonly occur in downhill skiers, and in runners and triathletes who compete on hills or uneven surfaces. The typical cause of injury is a direct blow to the inside of the knee, or a sudden forceful overextension/over straightening of the knee.
