Anatomy of Normal Human Gait

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Anatomy of Normal Human Gait L. J. Rizzolo Yale
University
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Main Points

• Need a language to discuss gait
• How we use a muscle differs from the anatomical
  description
• The language of the physical therapist
  facilitates discussion
• Fascial compartments organize our thinking
• A clinical approach focuses the discussion on a
  limited subset of muscles and nerves
• A more comprehensive understanding can be built
  on this foundation

Larry Rizzolo, Yale University
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Types of Contraction
Muscles can only pull by contraction ---
They cannot push

• Force of Deltoid gt gravity ? Arm abducts
  concentric contraction
• Force of Deltoid gravity ? Arm is
  stationary isocentric contraction
• Force of Deltoid lt gravity ? Arm adducts
  eccentric contraction

Muscle Interactions
Agonist vs Anatgonist ? Fine control of
motion Synergist ? Modifies action by
antagonizing unwanted motion Fixator ?
Maintains position of one joint to enable
movement of another joint
Larry Rizzolo, Yale University
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Start simple One compartment, one nerve
Thigh

• Which muscles to include?
• Primary Clinicians focus on those that are
• Easy to test
• Easy to see atrophy
• Reporter for the rest of the compartment

Leg
Larry Rizzolo, Yale University
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Exercises based on this approach

• http//info.med.yale.edu/surgery/anatomy
• Choose the ltExercisesgt link
• ? ltlower limbgt link
• ? Select from the exercises menu

Larry Rizzolo, Yale University