| The thigh muscles on the front of the thigh, known | | | | seems like a good exercise it is very unnatural in |
| as the quadriceps, are one of the biggest and most | | | | function as this movement does not really occur in |
| powerful muscle groups in the body and very | | | | normal life, and the stresses are placed strongly on |
| important functionally. The quadriceps allows us to | | | | the area of the patellar tendon. This exercise may be |
| get up from sitting, to go up and go down stairs, to | | | | useful in the early stages but for further |
| manage slopes, to walk and to run, and it has to be | | | | strengthening more functional movements are |
| strong to stabilise and move our body weight. The | | | | required. |
| strength of the quadriceps can be affected by injury, | | | | Squatting related movements such as gym ball |
| disuse or arthritis of the knee joint and the muscle | | | | squats, squatting, one leg bends and leg presses are |
| loses strength very quickly if not used normally. | | | | more functional exercises and can be appropriately |
| The quadriceps means "four heads" in that the upper | | | | progressed. Forces are transmitted through the hips |
| parts of the muscle originate in four different areas | | | | and the knees at normal angles and the muscles |
| and all narrow down towards the knee where they | | | | around these joints co-contract to achieve the raising |
| join into the fibrous quadriceps tendon, collect the | | | | or lowering of the body weight. Weights can be |
| patella and continue to insert on the bump below the | | | | progressed steadily as these muscles are very strong |
| kneecap, the tibial tuberosity. Initial management of a | | | | and may need significant intensity of stimulation to |
| weak quadriceps is to diagnose any reason for the | | | | become stronger. |
| weakness and remove it, whilst recording the degree | | | | Final strengthening needs to include co-ordination, |
| of weakness being demonstrated. Early strengthening | | | | balance and joint position sense so the |
| work involves restoring the range of movement of | | | | physiotherapist will include active and dynamic |
| the knee and working on full extension control so the | | | | exercises involving control of the knee joint in |
| knee can be fully straightened with control. | | | | challenging manoeuvres. The physio then progresses |
| A common gym exercise is the knee extension | | | | the patient to sport specific exercises as fitness for |
| machine, where the person sits on the machine and | | | | an activity is closely related to performing the specific |
| straightens the knee against a pad which is | | | | movements required by that activity. |
| connected via cams to the weights. Although it | | | | |