Michael Tuffour

The gait cycle in human walking is complex and still not fully understood ... [thread]

The sequences for walking that occur may be summarized as follows: [thread]

(1) Starting at the brain --> Registration and activation of the gait command within the central nervous system

(2) Transfer of information from CNS to PNS --> Transmission of the gait systems to the peripheral nervous system

(3) Activation of musculoskeletal system --> Contraction of muscles

(4) Subsequent generation of several forces

(5) Regulation of joint forces and moments across synovial joints and skeletal segments

(6) Generation of ground reaction forces

Classification of the gait cycle involves two main phases: the stance phase and the swing phase.

The stance phase occupies 60% of the gait cycle while the swing phase occupies only 40% of it.

Gait involves a combination of open- and close-chain activities ... A more detailed classification of gait recognizes six phases: - Heel Strike - Foot Flat - Mid-Stance - Heel-Off - Toe-Off - Mid-Swing

Phases of the gait (walking) cycle in humans, a thread: Source: musculoskeletalkey.com/fundamentals-o…

[1] Heel Strike --> AKA initial contact, a short period which begins the moment the foot touches the ground and is the first phase of double support.

(heel strike, cont'd).... 30° flexion of the hip and full extension in the knee is observed during HS. The ankle moves from a neutral (supinated 5°) position into plantar flexion

(heel strike, cont'd)....After initial contact knee flexion (5°) begins and increases, just as the plantar flexion of the heel increased which is allowed by contraction of the tibialis anterior.

...extension of the knee is caused by a contraction of the quadriceps, flexion is caused by a contraction of the hamstrings, and the flexion of the hip is caused by the contraction of the rectus femoris.

[2] Foot Flat loading response phase, body absorbs the impact of the foot by rolling in pronation --> hip moves slowly into extension, caused by a contraction of the adductor magnus + gluteus maximus muscles; knee inc to 15° to 20° of flexion. Ankle plantar flexion inc to 10-15°.

[3] Midstance: hip moves from 10° of flexion to extension by contraction of the gluteus medius muscle, knee reaches maximal flexion and then begins to extend.

(midstance, cont'd) The ankle becomes supinated and dorsiflexed (5°), which is caused by some contraction of the triceps surae muscles.

(midstance, cont'd) During this phase, the body is supported by one single leg. At this moment the body begins to move from force absorption at impact to force propulsion forward.