A knee "mechanics" question

[KnottedYet]

I'm wondering if you have some goobery-bit inside the knee joint that hasn't resorbed or dissolved or remodelled or something yet.

Sounds like you have all kinds of strength from all those one-legged squats and stuff, but it's the extension range that disappears after repeated limited range flex/ext of pedalling?

Do you want to try an experiment?

Take a "snapshot" of your knee: how it feels, how easily it bends and straightens, how it is to walk.

Then bend your knee by hugging it to your chest 10 times. (hands around your shin, hug) (like a gluteus stretch)

Do another "snapshot." Is the knee better, worse, or the same?

Then sit on the edge of a chair, put your heel on the ground, and push the knee straight with your hands on the lower thigh 10 times. (like a hamstring stretch)

Do another "snapshot." Is the knee better, worse, or the same?

[Starfish]

VERY curious to hear about this...

[Wahine]

I like Knott's idea. But I have a few other thoughts as well.

Where exactly in the pedal stroke are you feeling the pain? Example: starts at around 1 o'clock and lasts to 10. Since we're talking about your left leg your pedal rotation will be counter-clockwise (12, 11, 10....)

Are you able to keep your knee cap aligned over the second toe when you do your 1 legged squats and heel together squats? Can you use a plumb bob to check?

[crazycanuck]

Thanks guys!

I'll check it out when i get home from work tonight.

C

[crazycanuck]

Ok, i'm sitting here giving the first few Knot mentioned a shot & notice the following.

First off-tonight-walking, bending the knee sitting down are fine & i don't feel any pain. This is walking on a flat surface, not up the stairs as at work.

I tried the glute type stretch whilst lying on my back & then sitting in this computer chair. I feel tightness @ the bottom of the glute and then a pain accross the knee. When i bent my knee to loosen it out i felt quite a bit of creaking..I walked around the house & the leg feels like it normally does-sort of stable.

Then sit on the edge of a chair, put your heel on the ground, and push the knee straight with your hands on the lower thigh 10 times. (like a hamstring stretch)

umm. I tried this one but i don't think i'm doing it right..

After doing all of those "snapshots"my knee region feels stiff.

I placed my bike on the trainer & the pain starts @ when i have my leg @ the 11:30 position. The pain is straight accross the knee & just too much for me to move it any further.

Not sure about the knee alignment question..

Would it be a good idea to visit the physio & take my bike with me???

[KnottedYet]

Well, I was hoping one of those directions with over-pressure (flexion or extension) would be a direction of preference for the knee, and taking the joint to end range in that direction would help make you move more easily and feel less pain afterward. (I was hoping you'd be obviously deranged, cuz those are easy to deal with)

Phooey.

[Wahine]

This sounds like patellar or patellar tendon pain based on where it occurs in the pedal stroke. Keep stretching your glutes and double check your alignment with your squats with PT. Yes to bringing the bike in to the PT to see what they think.