Gait cycle

 𝐆𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐂𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐞

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📚The human gait cycle last approximately 1 second and is broken down into two phases, which include stance (60-62% of cycle) and swing (38-40% of cycle). This cycle starts the moment the limb being analyzed touches the ground and lasts until that limb touches the ground again. This is also referred to as one stride.

🔎Within the two gait phases, we can identify 8 events.

✅Stance Phase:

1️⃣Initial Contact: The moment the limb being analyzed touches the ground and is usually characterized by a heel strike.

2️⃣Loading Response: Immediately following initial contact, the knee extensors and ankle dorsiflexors contract eccentricity to absorb force as the knee bends and the whole foot comes into contact with the ground.

3️⃣Mid-Stance: The body progresses directly over the limb being analyzed.

4️⃣Terminal Stance: A controlled fall occurs as the hip moves into extension and the ankle reaches maximal dorsiflexion.

5️⃣Pre-Swing: The heel comes off of the ground and the big toe extends, which engages the windlass mechanism and locks the foot as the individual prepares to propel into swing.

✅Swing Phase:

6️⃣Initial Swing: The moment the foot loses contact with the ground and where we see maximal knee flexion (60 degrees) in the gait cycle.

7️⃣Mid-Swing: The leg swings under the body and progresses forward through a concentric contraction of the hip flexors.

8️⃣Terminal Swing: The knee extends fully at the end of the swing phase as the individual prepares to contact the ground again for the next stance phase.