Overview/Objectives of Course

The knee is the most common site of lower extremity injury in persons who are physically active. Despite the high number of knee injuries seen in orthopedic practice, evaluation and treatment programs remain highly variable and are often without scientific backing. The purpose of this course is to critically assess current approaches to the management of common knee disorders through review of research findings and practical clinical experience. Course participants will receive a thorough review of the clinical biomechanics of the tibiofemoral and patellofemoral joint, as well as an overview of the entire lower kinetic chain as it relates to knee dysfunction. Emphasis will be placed on current research in the areas of injury biomechanics, treatment approaches and injury prevention strategies. Implications for return to sport decisions following knee injury/surgery will be addressed.

Course Objectives/Learning Outcomes

At the conclusion of the course the participant will be able to:

1. Describe the influence of abnormal lower extremity mechanics on knee pain and injury. 
2. Describe a functional assessment of the lower quarter for persons who have knee pain
3. Describe the scientific and clinical rationale behind the development of an exercise program for the treatment of knee pain and common knee injuries.

Course Schedule

8:00-8:30 Introductions & course overview

8:30-10:00 Lower extremity mechanics and knee injury

10:15-10:30 Break

10:30-12:00 Functional assessment of the lower quarter: 

12:00-1:00 Lunch

1:00-2:30 Hip and knee strengthening for Knee Pain: Biomechanical considerations 

2:30-2:45 Break 

2:45-4:30 Exercise interventions for knee pain

4:30-5:00 Summary & Adjourn

About the Presenter

Christopher M. Powers is a Professor and Associate Chair in the Division of Biokinesiology & Physical Therapy at USC. He also has joint appointments in the Departments of Radiology and Orthopaedic Surgery within the Keck School of Medicine.  Dr. Powers is currently Co-Director of the Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Research Laboratory and the Director of the Program in Biokinesiology at USC. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1984, his Masters degree in Physical Therapy from Columbia University in 1987, and a Ph.D. in Biokinesiology in 1996 from USC. Dr. Powers did his post-doctoral training at the Orthopaedic Biomechanics Laboratory, University of California, Irvine.

Dr. Powers’ research and teaching interests relate to the biomechanical aspects of human movement. More specifically, his research focuses on how altered kinematics, kinetics, and muscular actions contribute to lower extremity injury. He is particularly interested in the pathomechanics underlying knee and patellofemoral joint dysfunction. He has published over 180 peer-reviewed articles and has received several research awards from the American Physical Therapy Association, including the Rose Excellence in Research Award from the Orthopaedic Section, the Eugene Michels New Investigator Award, the Dorothy Briggs Scientific Inquiry Award and the Helen J Hislop Award for contributions to the professional literature.

Dr. Powers is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association. He also is a member of the American Society for Biomechanics, American Society for Testing and Measures, and the North American Society for Gait and Clinical Movement Analysis

CEUs awarded:  0.8 or 8 contact hours