Excessive knee flexion during stance
Draft — clinical review requiredThe knee stays more bent than usual through stance (crouch-like).
Locate — when it occurs
Our event terms, with functional phase names alongside.
- Heel strikeInitial contact
- Foot flatLoading response
- MidstanceMidstance
- Heel offTerminal stance
- Toe offPre-swing
- Feet adjacentInitial swing
- Tibia verticalMid swing
- Heel strike (next)Terminal swing
Go deeper
Open each part when you are ready.
Observe
- Knee remains flexed in midstance; often with hip flexion and ankle dorsiflexion.
Example mechanisms
- Knee or hip flexion contracture.
- Hamstring overactivity or shortness.
- Plantarflexor weakness allowing the tibia to advance.
- Pain or effusion.
- An observed deviation describes movement; it does not identify a single diagnosis or a single weak muscle.
Possible compensation
- A slightly flexed knee can reduce pain from a joint effusion.
What to examine next
- Passive knee extension.
- Hamstring length.
- Plantarflexor strength.
- Pain and swelling.
Clinical reasoning sequence
- Observe → Explain possible causes → Examine → Choose an intervention → Reassess.
Connect — related deviations
Apply it
Excessive knee flexion in stance increases demand on which muscle group?
Sources and review status
Draft — clinical review required
Starting points for verification. Validated protocols are linked where available; clinical content has not yet been reviewed.
Learning objectives
- Recognize excessive knee flexion during stance and when it occurs in the gait cycle.
- Separate the observed movement from a possible cause and from any compensation.
- Choose examination findings that would help distinguish between causes.