A Complete Gait Cycle
A complete gait cycle begins with one foot making contact on the ground and ending with the same foot making contact on the ground for the second time. The two main phases that will occur during the gait cycle are ‘Stance Phase’ and the ‘Swing Phase’.
Stance Phase
• Heel strike- the point when the heel hits the floor
• Foot flat- the point where the whole foot comes into contact with the floor
• Mid stance- where we are transferring weight from the back, to the front of our feet
• Toe off- pushing off with the toes to propel us forward
Swing Phase
• Acceleration- the period from toe off to maximum knee flexion in order for the foot to clear the ground
• Mid- swing – the period between maximum knee flexion and forward movement of tibia to
a vertical position
• Deceleration – the end of the swing phase before heel strike
During the fast walk motion in the stance phase there is a decrease in most of the aspects as the faster we walk our heel strike is less as we move faster our heels tend to not make much contact with the ground. As we move faster most of the front part of the foot will be involved in making contact on the ground while the heel spends less time on the ground and sometimes it does not even make contact.
In the swing phase most of the factors will accelerate. There would be an acceleration in the time phase of the toe to the maximum knee flexion when the foot clears the ground. Moreover, the swing of the leg will be faster between the knee flexion and forward movement of the tibia to a vertical position.
Gait analysis can be useful to identify abnormality or least functional walking style. It is important to relate these impairment measures to disability levels (A. DeLisa, J.1998). The pattern of gait is the result of an interaction between neuromuscular and structural element of locomotor system. The abnormal gait results from presence of physical discomfort. Limping is a term used to describe abnormal gait pattern. Another cause of abnormal walking is increased base which causes instability. This makes errors occur in positioning of the center of gravity over the feet (Whittle, M., 1991). Injuries occur when high impact forces are present at time of heel strike. As a result, researchers are now focusing on footwear which is shoes and the running surface of indoor or outdoor and how it affects the heel strike.
Stance Phase
• Heel strike- the point when the heel hits the floor
• Foot flat- the point where the whole foot comes into contact with the floor
• Mid stance- where we are transferring weight from the back, to the front of our feet
• Toe off- pushing off with the toes to propel us forward
Swing Phase
• Acceleration- the period from toe off to maximum knee flexion in order for the foot to clear the ground
• Mid- swing – the period between maximum knee flexion and forward movement of tibia to
a vertical position
• Deceleration – the end of the swing phase before heel strike
During the fast walk motion in the stance phase there is a decrease in most of the aspects as the faster we walk our heel strike is less as we move faster our heels tend to not make much contact with the ground. As we move faster most of the front part of the foot will be involved in making contact on the ground while the heel spends less time on the ground and sometimes it does not even make contact.
In the swing phase most of the factors will accelerate. There would be an acceleration in the time phase of the toe to the maximum knee flexion when the foot clears the ground. Moreover, the swing of the leg will be faster between the knee flexion and forward movement of the tibia to a vertical position.
Gait analysis can be useful to identify abnormality or least functional walking style. It is important to relate these impairment measures to disability levels (A. DeLisa, J.1998). The pattern of gait is the result of an interaction between neuromuscular and structural element of locomotor system. The abnormal gait results from presence of physical discomfort. Limping is a term used to describe abnormal gait pattern. Another cause of abnormal walking is increased base which causes instability. This makes errors occur in positioning of the center of gravity over the feet (Whittle, M., 1991). Injuries occur when high impact forces are present at time of heel strike. As a result, researchers are now focusing on footwear which is shoes and the running surface of indoor or outdoor and how it affects the heel strike.