Gait and Prosthetics Flashcards
6 cards from real MPT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Gait and Prosthetics flashcards as text
Which phase of the gait cycle is typically reduced in stride length by a patient with significant hip flexion contracture?
Answer: Terminal stance
Hip flexion contracture reduces hip extension in terminal stance, causing the patient to prematurely advance off the stance limb and shorten the step length of the contralateral limb.
A vaulting gait deviation (rising on the toes of the sound limb during prosthetic swing) is caused by:
Answer: Prosthesis being too long
Vaulting occurs when the prosthesis is too long, requiring the patient to rise on the toes of the sound limb during prosthetic swing phase to allow the prosthetic foot to clear the ground.
In normal gait, the center of mass reaches its highest point during which phase?
Answer: Mid-stance
The center of mass reaches its highest vertical point during mid-stance (single-limb support), when the body vaults over the relatively straight stance limb like an inverted pendulum.
Which prosthetic foot design is best suited for a highly active K4-level transtibial amputee returning to running?
Answer: Energy-storing and return carbon fiber foot
Carbon fiber energy-storing and return (ESR) feet are best suited for K4-level (high activity, sports) amputees. They store elastic energy during loading and return it during push-off, enabling running.
Scissor gait, characterized by the legs crossing the midline during swing, is most commonly associated with:
Answer: Spastic diplegic cerebral palsy
Scissor gait is a hallmark of spastic diplegia (commonly seen in cerebral palsy) where bilateral hip adductor and flexor spasticity causes the legs to cross the midline during swing.
The push-off power generated during terminal stance and pre-swing is primarily produced by which muscle group?
Answer: Plantar flexors (gastrocnemius and soleus)
The plantar flexors (gastrocnemius and soleus) generate the primary propulsive power burst during terminal stance and pre-swing, providing forward propulsion and contributing to swing initiation.