The Influence of Muscle Contraction on the Kinematics of the Knee Joint

There is a paucity of information on the interaction between muscle contraction and the kinematics of the knee. In particular, the anterior-posterior (AP) movement of the femur on the tibia has been described primarily from passive testing (2). The dynamic action of the extensor and flexor muscle groups at the knee can have a substantial influence on the AP movement of the femur on the tibia. This dynamic information is important for understanding a number of issues related to ligament reconstruction as well as the designs of total knee replacement. However, most knowledge of six degree of freedom knee kinematics is based on passive testing.