KINESIOLOGY - Lower Limb Flashcards
Describe a single Gait cycle
“The time from the point at which the heel of one foot touches the ground to the time it touches the ground again”
Left -> Right -> left or Right -> Left -> Right
What are the 2 major phases of the Gait cycle?
&
What percentage of walking gate do they represent?
- Stance Phase = 60%
- Swing Phase = 40%
What is Antalgic Gait? And how does it change dominance.
Antalgic Gait Occurs with illness or injury
It is altering if the gait to avoid pain!
It also reverses the phase percentages
Stance Phase = 40%
Swing Phase = 60%
Explain double limb support within the Gait Cycle?
This is the period where both limbs are in contact with the ground
This occurs at the start and end of stance phase.
What are the 5 phases of the stance phase within the Gait Cycle?
- Heel Strike
- Foot Flat
- Mid Stance
- Heel Off
- Toe Off
What are the 3 Phases of the Swing Phase within the Gait cycle?
What are the 3 Phases of the Swing Phase within the Gait cycle?
- Early Swing (acceleration)
- Mid swing
- Late Swing (Deceleration)
What are the clinical implications of the gait cycle?
- Should be symmetry between both limbs if not the ERI should aim to identify through subjective and objective assessment where the issue lies.
What are the 2 descriptors of Gait?
- Temporal & Spatial
What are the 6 ways gait can be described temporally?
- Step time
- Stride time
- Cadence
- Normal Step rate
- Normal gait speed
- walking speed
What are 4 ways gait can be described spatially?
- Stride length
- Step length
- Step width (base)
- Angle of toe out
What does GRF stand for? (reference Gait)
- Ground Reaction Forces
To minimise energy expenditure during normal gait, joints and limb segments are moved in such a way that the COG of the body moves in a ______________ pathway in both transverse and sagittal planes
- Sinusoidal pathway
What are the 3 reasons the body moves in a Sinusoidal motion during the gait cycle?
- Energy conservation
- Reduces impact forces
- Reduces movement of the COG
During sinusoidal motion the body moves in two ways. What are they and what is there normal variation?
- Vertical displacement of CoM 5cm (up-down of the head)
- Side to side displacement of CoM (right to left deviation)
There are 6 Determinants of Gait, what are they?
- Lateral Pelvic Tilt
- Pelvic Rotation
- Knee flexion (stance phase)
- Knee interactions
- Foot and Ankle interactions
- Minimising Lateral Excursion of the pelvis (physical valgus of knee)
(6 determinants of Gait)
- Describe Lateral Pelvic Tilt
- Dropping of the pelvis on the non-weight bearing side minimises the upward movement of COG.
- The COG displaces vertically approx. 5cm
(6 determinants of Gait)
- Describe Pelvic Rotation
- Rotation occurs in the transverse plane with the swinging leg
- Increases with step length
- Hip adduction – controlled by eccentric action of the abductors on the WB side
(6 determinants of Gait)
- Describe Knee flexion in the stance phase
- Occurs at mid stance to minimise the upward movement of the COG
- Controlled by the eccentric action of the quads.
(6 determinants of Gait)
- Describe Knee interactions
- Movement of the knee into flex and ext during phases has the effect of absorbing kinetic energy for reutilization and increasing step length.
- The swing phase has the effect of reducing limb length for ground clearance.
(6 determinants of Gait)
- Describe foot and ankle interactions
- The foot and ankle will absorb kinetic energy and increase step stride length in the stance phase.
- Shorten the limb for ground clearance (ankle DF)
(6 determinants of Gait)
- Minimising lateral excursion of the pelvis – physiological valgus at the knee
- Alignment of the tibio-femoral joint allows the base of support to be kept under the body minimising lateral excursion of the COG.
- Lateral displacement of the COG is approx. 4cm.
What are the 6 factors that can Affect Gait
- Structural imbalance – kinetic chain
- Tight or weak muscles – Injury/ overtraining
- Un co-ordinating movement – Vestibular/visual
- Soft tissue or bony changes – subtalar/Achilles
- Limitation of joint movement – Osteo Arthritis
- Pain or swelling – Injury
