Biomechanics - Lower Limb Flashcards
3 segments of the lower limb?
3 main joints of the lower limb?
Thigh, leg and foot
Hip, knee and ankle - these are synovial joints
Bony anatomy and of the hip joint?
What does this allow?
Connective tissue anatomy?
Ball and socket joint - where the ball-shaped head of femur fits into the cup-shaped depression of the acetabulum.
This allows movement in 3 axes: flexion/extension; abduction/adduction; internal/external rotation. It also allows circumduction
The surfaces of the hip joint are covered in articular cartilage , and the joints are enclosed in a sleeve of tough fibrous tissue, the joint capsule, which forms the synovial cavity. This is filled with synovial fluid, which lubricates the joint and provides nutrients to the articular cartilage. It is produced by the synovial membrane, which lines the inner surface of the capsule
How is the hip joint intrinsically stable?
It is surrounded by a very strong articular joint capsule and several ligaments. These, in turn, are surrounded by several large, very strong muscles. This, along with the ball and socket shape, makes the hip joint intrinsically stable
ROM of hip joint?
Flexion: 140 degrees
Extension: 20 degrees
Abduction: 30 degrees
Adduction: 25 degrees
Internal Rot: 70 degrees
External: 90 degrees
(this is with the hip flexed - less rotation is possible when extended due to restrictions of soft tissues)
What are the planes of movement and what movements occur in each plane?
Sagittal: flexion/extension
Coronal: abduction/adduction
Transverse/axial: internal/external rotation
What functional ROM is required of the hip for ADL’s such as ascending/descending stairs, sitting/standing and stooping to pick up objects?
120 degrees flex/ext
20 degrees abd/add
20 degrees rotation
What ROM of hip is needed for walking?
30 degrees flexion
15 degrees extension
12 degrees in other 2 planes
In bilateral stance, what external forces are acting on the pelvis?
Weight of upper body
Reaction forces at each hip joint
What forces act on the lower limb during unilateral stance?
Weight of lower limb
Abductor muscle force
Joint force at the hip
Ground reaction force
Why is the hip joint force 0.5x upper body weight in bilateral stance but 4.5x upper body weight during unilateral stance?
Partly because of the fact that the whole upper body weight is being transmitted through one hip instead of 2
Mostly due to the action of abductor muscle forces, which effectively draw the 2 sides of the hip together, greatly increasing force
Articulations in the knee joint?
Which one actually moves the knee?
Tibiofemoral - moves knee
Patellofemoral
What are menisci?
Two crescent-shaped pieces of fibrocartilage attached to the proximal end of the tibia by short, tough ligaments. The menisci make the flat top of the tibia concave, which aids in stability
Describe structure of distal femur?
2 circular-shaped femoral condyles, which are covered by articular cartilage. The smooth anterior depression between them is called the trochlea, which develops into the posterior depression between the the condyles called the intercondylar notch. The cruciate ligaments, which help bind the femur to the tibia, are lodged in the intercondylar notch
What type of bone is the patella?
Structure?
Sesamoid - this means it is found within the quadriceps femoris tendon
Posterior surface has 2 smooth articular surfaces either side of a slight central ridge, each of which articulate with a femoral condyle
The ridge guides the patella along the groove between the femoral condyles as the knee joint flexes and extends
Is the fibula part of the knee joint?
No, however it does act as an anchor for the biceps femoris muscle
How does the knee joint get its stability? (4)
From the ligaments - the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments cross centrally and limit forward and backward sliding of the femur on the tibia, and limit hyperextension
It is surrounded by a tough fibrous joint capsule, which is thickened around the posterior medial and lateral sides
Outside of the joint capsule lie the medial and lateral collateral ligaments, which prevent abduction and adduction
the quadriceps muscle also aids in stability, as do the menisci, esp in rotation
Why can the knee not be described as a true hinge joint?
A hinge joint always rotates around the same axis, but the knee doesn’t. If the sagittal plane is considered the centre of rotation, the joint moves in an approximate semicircle.
This is because the femoral condyles are not perfectly circular, and due to restrictions imposed by the knee ligaments.
It actually has a screw-home mechanism, following a spiral motion. As the knee flexes, the tibia rotates internally slightly, and as it extends it externally rotates slightly
ROM of knee?
Sagittal plane: 140 degrees flexion and a few degrees extension
Frontal plane: a few degrees abd/add-cution when at 30 degree flex
Transverse plane: maximum rotation at 90 degrees flexion
- 45 degrees internal rotation
- 30 degrees external rotation