During the Myokinematic Restoration course the instructor says “teach patients to abduct without using the right abdominal side wall not the right vastus lateralis.” How would someone use the VL to abduct if it doesn’t cross the hip? How would you teach someone not to use his/her VL in any case?
With the typical Left AIC patterned individual the right VL is engaged, short and strong acting as an abductor and internal rotator. So positionally it is short and from a compensatory standpoint it has an increased demand as an abductor as it struggles with TFL to abduct the femur via the extensor mechanism (the very structure supporting it for IR). You are not teaching someone NOT to use the VL, you are actually attempting to reduce demand on the VL by allowing the patient to shift out of right AF IR and into left AF IR. This must happen during gait and does not with the typical Left AIC patient. Until the patient can shift into left AF IR he will have increased demand on the right VL even when weight bearing on the left LE.
