Musculoskeletal: Anatomy - Posture and gait

Question 1

What are the two stages of walking? What proportion of the gait cycle is spent in each?

Answer 1

Stance phase: 60%
Swing phase: 40%

Question 2

What are the three components of the stance phase of walking?

Answer 2

Heel strike
Support
Toe-off

Question 3

What are the two components of the swing phase?

Answer 3

Leg lift
Swing

Question 4

Three muscle groups involved in heel-strike

Answer 4

Gluteus maximus: decelerates forward motion of limb
Quadriceps femoris: knee extension and hip flexion
Anterior compartment of leg: ankle dorsiflexion

Question 5

Three muscle groups involved in support

Answer 5

Quadriceps femoris: knee extension
Foot inverters/everters: balanced contraction to stabilise foot
Gluteus minimus, gluteus medius and tensor fascia lata: hip abduction (to keep pelvis level with body weight through one leg)

Question 6

Three muscle groups involved in toe-off phase

Answer 6

Hamstring muscles: hip extension
Quadriceps femoris: knee extension
Posterior compartment of leg: ankle plantarflexion

Question 7

Three muscle groups involved in leg lift phase

Answer 7

Iliopsoas and rectus femoris: hip flexion
Hamstrings: knee flexion
Anterior compartment of leg: ankle dorsiflexion

Question 8

Three muscle groups involved in swing phase

Answer 8

Iliopsoas and rectus femoris: hip flexion
Quadriceps femoris: knee extension (positions foot for landing)
Anterior compartment of leg: ankle dorsiflexion