The girl above is demonstrating a valgus ( knock-knee) position while landing ( (picture E.) Like many kids, especially girls, she is at greater risk for ACL tears and other knee injuries because of poor mechanics, weak muscles, and/or instability.
Pre-activity assessments can help identify and correct problems before they lead to injury.
A 2011 study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (Stensrud, et al) developed a 2-D knee analysis. The client performs a single-leg squat, single-leg drop jump, and 2-leg drop jump off a 30 cm box.
The athlete is scored from 0 to 3: 0= no significant lateral pelvic tilt, no valgus knee, no medial/lateral knee movement. 1= some level of 1 or more of each deviation and 3= clear valgus knee, lateral pelvic tilt, and lateral/medial knee movement. If the issues appear during the squats, then strength and balance need to be addressed. If the issues arise on the jump, then technique, strength, and elastic strength need improvement.
IT Band foam rolling and stretching should be a regular part of the training regimin. Acceleration/ deceleration training is also key: jump stops, ice skaters, lunge stops, and backpedals. Dynamic strength and balance should be addressed via lunges in all planes, mini band exercises like walks and squats, hex bar squats, unilateral squats, lunge and reach, and weighted high step ups.
"The Bees Knees" phrase originated in the early 1900s as humorous gibberish, but acquired the meaning " of highest quality" in later years. As in " Fitness Asylum is the bees knees!"
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