Determinants of Gait

Question 1

What are the 6 determinants of gait?

Answer 1

1. Pelvic Rotation
2. Pelvic Tilt
3. knee flexion in mid stance
4. foot and ankle motion
5. knee motion
6. lateral pelvic motion

Question 2

What does pelvic rotation do?

Answer 2

• pelvis rotates forward with swing leg
• has effect of “lengthening leg segment at heel strike”
• decreases amplitude of COG displacement

Question 3

What does pelvic tilt do?

Answer 3

• pelvis tilts down 5 degrees from stance leg
• “shortens” length of stance leg at mid stance
• reduces rise of COG at midstance

Question 4

What does knee flexion in midstance do?

Answer 4

• at heel strike knee in full extension
• immediately begins 15 degrees of flexion at foot flat
• has effect of lessening rise of COG

Question 5

What does foot and ankle motion do?

Answer 5

• intimately associated with knee motion
• Foot moves from dorsiflexion at Heel Strike to plantar flexion at foot flat
• ankle moves forward in an arc over the heel then at heel off in an arc over the ball of the foot.
• Smooths out pathway of COG when coupled with knee motion

Question 6

What does knee motion do?

Answer 6

• intimately associated with ankle and foot motion
• knee flexes just after H.S. as the ankle rises and again at push off when ankle rises again
• foot and ankle motion coupled with knee motion in gait smooth the transition of COG

Question 7

What does lateral pelvic motion do?

Answer 7

-weight shifts from one extremity to the other, pelvis moves laterally to stance side