Kinetic Chain
Definition
The concept that the body's joints and segments form interconnected links, where movement or restriction at one joint affects all others in the chain. In a closed kinetic chain (foot on the ground), the ankle, knee, hip, pelvis, and spine are mechanically linked -- limitation at any point creates compensation at other points.
Clinical Significance
The kinetic chain concept is the rationale for whole-body assessment rather than isolated joint testing. A client presenting with knee pain may have a primary driver at the ankle (dorsiflexion deficit) or hip (internal rotation deficit). Treating the knee in isolation addresses the compensation, not the cause. The biomechanical assessment maps the entire chain to identify where the primary restriction lives.
How AKMI Assesses This
AKMI's 18-test protocol systematically tests the kinetic chain from the foot through the cervical spine. By measuring ROM at every major joint bilaterally, the assessment identifies which restrictions are primary (causing the pattern) and which are compensatory (adapting to the pattern). The sequence of testing follows the kinetic chain logic.
Get your general assessed
A biomechanical assessment measures kinetic chain and its relationship to the rest of your structural chain. 18 tests, objective data, personalized programming.