Joint Positions in Gait

Question 1

How is the pelvis rotated during initial contact?

Answer 1

If you are measuring the right leg, the right pelvis should be anteriorly rotated.

Question 2

A patient’s heel has just made contact with the ground. What position is the hip typically in?

Answer 2

30 degrees of flexion

Question 3

In initial contact, where is the knee positioned?

Answer 3

0 degrees (fully extended)

Question 4

In initial contact, how is the ankle positioned?

Answer 4

0 degrees (neutral)

Question 5

Is the foot supinated or pronated in initial contact?

Answer 5

Slightly supinated foot, but it is pseudo-closed chain

Question 6

What is the foot doing during loading response?

Answer 6

The foot moves towards pronation.

Question 7

Is the ankle dorsiflexed or plantar flexed during loading response?

Answer 7

The ankle should be in 10 degrees of plantar flexion.

Question 8

During loading response, how is the knee positioned?

Answer 8

Slight flexion for shock absorption. 10 degrees

Question 9

The patient has just started putting weight through the right leg. Where is the hip positioned?

Answer 9

30 degrees. It doesn’t change in the sagittal plane between IC and LR.

Question 10

How is the pelvis positioned in loading response?

Answer 10

When measuring the right leg, it should still be anteriorly rotated on the R.

Question 11

In midstance, how does the pelvis move?

Answer 11

The pelvis starts anteriorly rotated. In the middle it is neutral. At the end, it is posteriorly rotated.

Question 12

Where is the hip positioned in midstance?

Answer 12

Pass from 30 to neutral to moving towards extension. At the end, it is in 10 degrees of extension.

Question 13

In midstance, where is the knee positioned?

Answer 13

Slightly flexed. 10 Degrees

Question 14

How many degrees of dorsiflexion is the ankle in during midstance?

Answer 14

10 degrees of dorsiflexion

Question 15

Where is the foot positioned during midstance?

Answer 15

At the middle of midstance, the foot is in neutral. At the end, the foot is fully pronated.

Question 16

During terminal stance, how is the pelvis rotated?

Answer 16

The pelvis is rotated posteriorly.

Question 17

During terminal stance is the hip in flexion or extension?

Answer 17

The hip is in 10 degrees of extension. This is called terminal hip extension. It is extremely important for nourishment of the joint.

Question 18

Where is the knee in terminal stance?

Answer 18

10 degrees of flexion

Question 19

During terminal stance, is the ankle in dorsiflexion or plantar flexion?

Answer 19

10 degrees of dorsiflexion. This is the most you have in gait.

Question 20

What is the foot doing in terminal stance?

Answer 20

The foot is starting to move towards supination, so it can be rigid and push off.

Question 21

In pre-swing, how does the pelvis move?

Answer 21

It moves into neutral.

Question 22

How is the foot positioned in pre-swing?

Answer 22

The foot is supinated.

Question 23

How is the ankle positioned in pre-swing?

Answer 23

5 (-10) degrees of plantar flexion

Question 24

In pre-swing, what does the hip do?

Answer 24

The hip goes to neutral.

Question 25

During pre-swing, is the knee extended or flexed?

Answer 25

The knee is at 30 degrees of flexion.

Question 26

In initial swing, what happens to the pelvis?

Answer 26

The pelvis starts anteriorly rotating again.

Question 27

In initial swing, is the hip flexed or extended?

Answer 27

The hip starts at neutral. Then moves to 30 degrees.

Question 28

What does the knee do in initial swing?

Answer 28

The knee starts at 30 degrees. At the end, 70 degrees. This is the most your knee needs to flex during the swing phase.

Question 29

During initial swing, how is the ankle positioned?

Answer 29

0 degrees at end. Neutral. Starts at 5 degrees of plantar flexion. Moves to 0.

Question 30

How is the foot positioned in initial swing?

Answer 30

The foot is in neutral.

Question 31

During mid-swing, which way does the pelvis rotate?

Answer 31

The pelvis rotates anteriorly.

Question 32

How flexed is the hip in mid-swing?

Answer 32

30 degrees of flexion

Question 33

What position is the knee in during mid-swing?

Answer 33

70 degrees of flexion.

Question 34

Where is the ankle during mid-swing?

Answer 34

0 degrees. Neutral.

Question 35

During mid-swing, how is the foot positioned?

Answer 35

The foot is in neutral.

Question 36

In terminal swing, which way is the pelvis rotated?

Answer 36

The pelvis is anteriorly rotated.

Question 37

How much flexion is the hip in during terminal swing?

Answer 37

The hip stays at 30 degrees of flexion.

Question 38

During terminal swing, what happens to the knee?

Answer 38

By the end, you’ve hit 0 degrees of flexion. You have gotten to 0 by IC.

Question 39

Where is the ankle positioned during terminal swing?

Answer 39

The ankle is at 0 degrees.

Question 40

Is the foot supinated or pronated in terminal swing?

Answer 40

Slightly supinated