ART Biomechanics & Functional Movement 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During the ART treatment of the hamstring, the patient is typically positioned in what manner to create tension across the treated tissue?
- Supine with the hip flexed and knee extended (Correct answer)
- Prone with the knee flexed to 90 degrees
- Side-lying with the hip in neutral
- Seated with the knee fully extended
Correct answer: Supine with the hip flexed and knee extended
Supine hip flexion with knee extension places the hamstring under longitudinal tension, which is required for effective ART contact-and-stretch.
Question 2: Which plane of motion is most commonly assessed when evaluating hip abductor function during a single-leg squat?
- Sagittal plane
- Frontal plane (Correct answer)
- Transverse plane
- Horizontal plane
Correct answer: Frontal plane
The frontal plane reveals contralateral hip drop (Trendelenburg sign), indicating weak hip abductors during single-leg loading.
Question 3: Altered reciprocal inhibition caused by hip flexor tightness most directly reduces the activation of which muscle?
- Rectus femoris
- Gluteus maximus (Correct answer)
- Tensor fasciae latae
- Adductor longus
Correct answer: Gluteus maximus
Tight hip flexors reciprocally inhibit the gluteus maximus, reducing its contribution to hip extension and pelvic stability.
Question 4: In ART biomechanical assessment, 'joint play' refers to:
- Active range of motion through full arc
- Passive accessory movement within the joint capsule (Correct answer)
- Muscular force generated at end range
- Tendon excursion during contraction
Correct answer: Passive accessory movement within the joint capsule
Joint play describes the small passive accessory movements (glides, rolls, spins) that occur within the joint capsule independent of active motion.
Question 5: What biomechanical consequence does a shortened iliotibial band have on patellofemoral mechanics?
- Increases medial patellar glide
- Increases lateral patellar compression and tilt (Correct answer)
- Reduces patellar alta
- Decreases tibial external rotation
Correct answer: Increases lateral patellar compression and tilt
A tight IT band pulls the patella laterally, increasing lateral facet compression and altering patellofemoral contact, a common source of anterior knee pain.
Question 6: Which principle best describes why ART uses a combination of tension and shortening before restoring glide between tissue layers?
- Davis's Law of tissue remodeling
- Wolff's Law of bone adaptation
- Contact-tension protocol to break adhesions at the fibrotic interface (Correct answer)
- Gate control theory of pain modulation
Correct answer: Contact-tension protocol to break adhesions at the fibrotic interface
ART's contact-tension protocol applies a specific tension vector at a fixation point while the tissue moves from shortened to lengthened, mechanically disrupting adhesions at the interface.
Question 7: Excessive anterior pelvic tilt during gait most directly increases the mechanical load on which structure?
- Posterior capsule of the hip
- Lumbar facet joints and anterior longitudinal ligament (Correct answer)
- Sacrotuberous ligament
- Posterior tibialis tendon
Correct answer: Lumbar facet joints and anterior longitudinal ligament
Anterior pelvic tilt increases lumbar lordosis, compressing lumbar facet joints and stretching the anterior longitudinal ligament across the lumbosacral segment.
ART Biomechanics & Functional Movement 2
During the ART treatment of the hamstring, the patient is typically positioned in what manner to create tension across the treated tissue?