Locomotion Flashcards
What is the locomotor system?
Musculoskeletal system of the skeleton, muscles and connective tissue to enable movement.
What are the advantages of the bipedal system?
Frees our hands, allows us to elevate our heads and navigate challenging terrain.
What are the disadvantages?
Less energetically efficient and stable than a quadrapedal system.
What is the gait cycle?
Sequence of events between the heel strike of an ipsilateral foot. It is divided into a stance phase and a swing phase.
What are the phases of the gait cycle?
Stance phase and swing phase.
What is the stance phase?
60% of the gait cycle. The limb has contact with the ground. Begins with a heel strike, then mid-stance, loading response and propulsion from the toe in the terminal stance.
What is the swing phase?
40% of the gait cycle where the limb does not have contact with the ground. Begins with propulsion from the toe and ends with a heel strike. Divided into pre-swing, initial swing, mid-swing and terminal swing.
What is the difference between a step and a stride?
A step is the distance between a heel strike on contralateral legs. A stride is the gait cycle and the distance between the heel strike on an ipsilateral leg.
What is the difference between walking and running?
One limb always has contact with the ground in walking and acts as an inverted pendulum to propel forwards. During running, energy is stored in tendons and released as controlled leaps which allows both limbs to have simultaneous zero ground contact.
What are the phases of the running gait?
Stance phase, swing phase and double leap.
What is the stance phase in the running gait?
Accounts for only 40% of running. Includes impact where heel strike absorbs force and drive via toe to propel the lower leg.
What is the double float phase in running?
Phase during running where there both limbs have no contact with the ground.
What is the swing phase in running?
60% of the running gait where one limb has contact wih the ground. There is recovery, pre-swing, intial swing, midswing and then the terminal swing to leap.
What are the components of the locomotor system?
Bones and joints
What are joints?
Points where two bones make contact and classified based on their range of motion. Synarthrosis are immovable, amphiarthroisis are slightly movable and diarthrosis have a full range of motion.
What are the types of joints in the locomotor system?
Ball and socket joint, pivot joint, ellipsoidal joint and hinge joint.
What is the ball and socket joint?
Diarthrosis synovial joint which has a full range of notion in all directions. This is found in the hip joint and the shoulder joint.
What is the pivot joint?
Diarthrosis synovial joint that allows movement around a single point like a wheel. This is found between C1 and C2 vertebrae to turn the head. It is found between the radius and ulna to twist the forearm.
What is the ellipsoidal joint?
Diarthrosis synovial joint that allows movement laterally and front to back. This is found in the joints of the knuckles, wrist, metacarpophalangeal joints (fingers) and metatarsophalangeal joints (toes).
What is the hinge joint?
Diarthrosis synovial joint which allows movement only flexion and extension. It is found in the knee, elbow and angle.
What is torque?
It is the rotational force of a bone around a joint, generated by the contraction of an attached muscle.
What is a concentric muscle?
Contraction to overcome resistance which shortens the muscle
What is the eccentric muscle?
Contraction to overcome resistance however it cannot which causes the lengthening of the muscle.
What is an agonist and antagonist?
Agonist muscle induce movement by contraction such as the bicep muscle. Antagonist muscle oppose movement through contraction such as the tricep.
What is a muscle lever?
A rod like a bone that turns around a joint to generate a force.
