posture assessment

Question 1

ideal body alignment; what is the plumb line

Answer 1

enligned ear lobe, AC joint, greater trochanter and lateral malleolus

Question 2

ant ideal posture (head, trunk, knees, feet)

Answer 2

chin in line w middle of sternum, umbilicus and pubic symphysis

head: neutral, no tilting or rotation
trunk: neutral, no side bending or rotation
knees: neutral, no valgus or varus
feet: facing forward (slight turn out), neutral, no pronation/supination (toe extension problem = no hip, extension = glutes will shut down)

Question 3

what is the carrying angle (normal, excessive cubitus valgus, cubitus varus, guns tock deformity)

Answer 3

normal (men: 5-10°, women: 10-15°)
excessive cubitus valgus (30°)
cubitus varus (-5°)
gun stock deformity (-15°)

Question 4

what is the unhappy triad

Answer 4

ACL tear, MCL tear, medial meniscus

Question 5

what diseases can come from genu valgum

Answer 5

metatarsalgia, platar fasciatis, achille’s tendinopathy, syndesmosis sprain, tib post strain, shin splints

Question 6

lateral ideal postural alignement (head, cervical spine/lumbar spine, thoracic spine, pelvis)

Answer 6

head: neutral position, not tilted forward or back
cervical spine/lumbar spine: normal curve, slightly convex anteriorly
thoracic spine: normal curve, slightly convex posteriorly
pelvis: neutral position, ant superior spines in the same vertical plane as symphysis pubis

Question 7

lateral ideal postural alignement (hip joint, knee joint, ankle joint)

Answer 7

hip joint: neutral, neither flexed nor extended
knee joint: neural position, neither flexed nor hyperextended
ankle joint: neural position, leg vertical and at right angle to the sole of the foot

Question 8

forward head posture - upper cross syndrome

Answer 8

weakened deep neck flexors
uninhibited overactive pecs group
uninhibited overactive upper traps and levator scap
weakened scap stabilizers retractors and depressors

Question 9

pelvic imbalance (anteriorly, posteriorly, post tilt, ant tilt)

Answer 9

anteriorly: abdo m. pull upwards, hip flexors pulled downwards, facet joint syndrome to lumbar spine
posteriorly: back m. pull upwards, hip extensors pull downwards
post tilt: abdominal and hip extensors
ant tilt: back extensors and hip flexors

Question 10

what is elongated and short in the kyphotic-lordotic posture

Answer 10

elongated: neck flexors, upper back erector spinae, external obliques, hamstrings

short (ant pelvic tilt) : neck extensors, hip flexors, low back

Question 11

sway back vs kyphotic-lordotic posture

Answer 11

sway back: post pelvic tilt

hyphotic-lordotic: ant pelvic tilt

Question 12

what is elongated and short in the flat back posture

Answer 12

elongated: 1 joint hip flexors
short: hams, abdominal m.

Question 13

sway back posture (head, cervical spine, t-vertebrae, l-vertebrae, pelvis, hips, knees, ankle)

Answer 13

head: forward
cervical spine: hyperextended
t-vertebrae: slight flexion
l-vertebrae: slight extension (lordosis, compression on l-spine)
pelvis: post tilt and ant to midline
hips: hyperextended
knee: hyperextended
ankle: slightly plantarflexed

Question 14

genu recurvatum can cause what

Answer 14

hamstring strain, patellar dislocation, PCL (hyperflexion) & ACL (hyperextension), popliteus strain

Question 15

kyphosis what is it

Answer 15

accentuation of the t-curve
congenital, idiopathic (unknown) or secondary to osteoporosis
forward head posture
deformation of either vertebral bodies or anterior and posterior vertebral elements
athletes w over developed pectoral m. are also prone to this condition

Question 16

ideal posterior posture (head, spine, shoulder, scapula, pelvis, hip, knee, feet)

Answer 16

head: erect, neither tilted or rotated
spine (C, T, L): draw a straight line down
shoulder: neither elevated or depressed
scapula: medial border 3-4 inches apart
pelvis: both PSIS in the same transverse plane
hip: neutral, not abducted or adducted
knee: not bowed or knock-kneed
feet: parallel or slight toe out