Knee Joint: Transverse-Plane Kinematics

0% · Heel strike

Right knee · view from above, down the tibiaAnteriorMedialLateralTibial plateauKnee flexion ≈ 5° · shaded: femoral shaft seen from above
Angle referenceDashed: femur-fixed reference · solid: tibia-fixed marker (tuberosity) · true angles, not exaggerated
≈ 4.3° external rotation
0%20%40%60%80%100%StanceSwing
Tibial internal / external rotation (°)Current: ≈ 4.3° external rotation

Tibia relative to femur

+ Internal rotation− External rotation
-4°-2°0°+2°+4°020406080100Heel strikeFoot flatMidstanceHeel offToe offFeet adjacentTibia verticalNext heel strikeINTERNAL ↑EXTERNAL ↓Tibial rotation relative to femur (°)Percent of gait cycle
Gait cycle: 0%
0:00 / 1:51
Chapters
Explanations and references

Walking → Knee Joint → Horizontal Plane → Kinematics

Knee angle = tibia relative to the femur, not tibial or femoral rotation in space. Approximate teaching values; amount and direction vary between individuals.

Learning objectives

Follow right knee rotation — tibia relative to the femur — through one walking cycle.

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