A patient with a 5-degree plantar flexion contracture is MOST likely to demonstrate which knee behavior during midstance?

A patient with a 5-degree plantar flexion contracture is MOST likely to demonstrate which knee behavior during midstance?

• A. Foot slap
• B. Early heel rise
• C. Knee buckling during midstance
• D. Knee recurvatum during midstance

Answer: (D)

When the ankle cannot dorsiflex adequately because of a plantarflexion contracture, the foot remains pointed downward during stance. To allow the body to progress over that fixed foot, the knee often extends more than normal, resulting in knee recurvatum during midstance. This hyperextension is a compensatory pattern to keep the body over the foot despite limited ankle motion. Foot slap and early heel rise are tied to timing and control at other parts of the gait cycle (often related to dorsiflexor weakness or plantarflexor control issues), not to a fixed plantarflexion posture during midstance. Knee buckling would indicate instability or weakness at the knee itself rather than a knee-position adaptation to limited ankle motion.

When the ankle cannot dorsiflex adequately because of a plantarflexion contracture, the foot remains pointed downward during stance. To allow the body to progress over that fixed foot, the knee often extends more than normal, resulting in knee recurvatum during midstance. This hyperextension is a compensatory pattern to keep the body over the foot despite limited ankle motion.

Foot slap and early heel rise are tied to timing and control at other parts of the gait cycle (often related to dorsiflexor weakness or plantarflexor control issues), not to a fixed plantarflexion posture during midstance. Knee buckling would indicate instability or weakness at the knee itself rather than a knee-position adaptation to limited ankle motion.