Walking and gaits

Question 1

What are the different stages of walking?

Answer 1

1) Stance (60% of repeated gait)
- Heel-strike
- Support
- Toe off
2) Swing (40% of repeated gait)
- Leg lift
- Swing

Question 2

What muscles are involved in the heel-strike and their action?

Answer 2

Gluteus maximus - decelerate forward motion of lower limb

Quadriceps femoris - leg extended at knee and thigh flexed at hip.

Anterior compartment of leg - ankle dorsiflexion

Question 3

What the muscles involved in the support and its actions?

Answer 3

1) Quadriceps femoris - stabilises knee in extension, supports weight of the body.
2) Foot invertors and evertors - contract together to stabilise foot.
3) Gluteus minimus, medius and tensor fascia lata - abduct lower limb - keeps the pelvis level.

Question 4

What are the muscles involved in toe-off in its actions?

Answer 4

Hamstring muscles - extends thigh at the hip

Quadriceps femoris - maintains extended position of knee

Posterior compartment of the leg - plantarflexes ankle - gastrocnemius, soleus and tibialis posterior.

Question 5

What are the muscles involved in leg lift and its actions?

Answer 5

Iliopsoas and rectus femoris - flexes the thigh at the hip, driving the knee forwad.

Hamstring muscles - flexes the leg at the knee joint

Anterior compartment of the leg - dorsiflexes the ankle.

Question 6

What are the muscles involved in the swing phase and its actions?

Answer 6

Iliopsoas and the rectus femoris - keeps thigh flexed at hip, resisting gravity.

Quadriceps femoris - extends the leg at the knee

Anterior compartment of the leg - maintains ankle dorsiflexion for heel-strike.

Question 7

Clinical relevance - characteristic gaits

Answer 7

1) Trendelenberg gait - weakness of gluteus minimus/medius
2) Foot drop - common/deep fibular palsy
3) Antalgic gait - pain upon weight bearing - shortened stance phase.