Dynamic Knee Valgus

Dynamic knee valgus is a movement pattern in which the knee moves medially relative to the hip and foot during a weight-bearing task such as squatting, landing, running, or changing direction. Although it is often recognized visually as inward movement of the knee, the pattern can involve coordinated motion across several joints and anatomical planes .^1,2

In three-dimensional terms, dynamic knee valgus can involve combinations of hip adduction and internal rotation, knee abduction, tibial rotation, and movements of the foot and ankle. The exact combination varies between individuals and tasks. A two-dimensional frontal view can measure medial knee displacement or a frontal-plane projection angle, but it cannot capture all of the rotational components involved .^1,2

Dynamic knee valgus is influenced by multiple factors rather than a single muscle or joint. Hip and trunk control, ankle dorsiflexion, foot mechanics, movement technique, task demands, and neuromuscular coordination may all contribute. Evidence linking hip muscle strength alone to dynamic knee valgus is inconsistent, so the pattern should not automatically be attributed to one specific strength deficit .¹

Dynamic knee valgus should also be distinguished from static genu valgum, or knock-knee alignment. Static valgus describes anatomical alignment in a relatively stationary position, whereas dynamic knee valgus describes a movement pattern that appears or increases during a task. Dynamic knee valgus and related knee-abduction measures have been studied in relation to anterior cruciate ligament injury, but prospective evidence does not support using knee-abduction kinematics or kinetics alone as reliable predictors of future injury .^2,3