Exercise of the Week: Happy, Healthy Knees

Did you know the most common overuse injury for volleyball players is patellar tendinitis or “jumper’s knee?” Jumping to spike or block a ball requires a high rate of force production which can stress the patellofemoral joint and patellar tendon, which connects the femur (thigh bone) and patella (knee cap). Patellar tendinitis occurs when the patellar tendon becomes inflamed, due to overuse, resulting in symptoms of pain and swelling localized to the bottom of the patella. Patellar tendinitis increases with time spent playing and is more common in those with a higher vertical jump.

Given the frequent occurrence of this injury, this week we'll begin a series on injury prevention for the knee. The knee is the largest joint of the body and allows for flexion and extension of the lower leg. Without this joint we would not be able to run or jump which really takes some of the excitement out of volleyball, don't you think?

Let's take a quick look at the anatomy and kinesiology of the knee.


Flexion of the knee is performed by the hamstrings. The quadriceps are responsible for knee extension.



Now that you have a solid understanding of the anatomy of the knee be sure to check back in the upcoming weeks as we explore some of the best exercises to promote pain free knees.

See you on the beach!

Eric Hand, MA, CSCS

Exercise Physiologist and Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Fast Twitch Fitness

"We're all athletes. Some of us are just farther along in our training."

Pictures from howstuffworks.com and gla.ac.uk