Initial swing is best described as which of the following?

Initial swing is best described as which of the following?

• A. The body moves ahead of the stance limb
• B. The thigh begins advancement as the foot comes up off the floor
• C. The body progresses over a stable limb
• D. Weight rapidly transfers onto the outstretched limb

Answer: (B)

Initial swing is the early part of the swing phase, when the foot has just left the floor and the leg begins to move forward. The defining action is the thigh starting to advance as the foot comes up off the ground, driven by hip flexion to start forward progression and help clear the foot. That makes the option describing thigh advancement as the foot leaves the floor the best fit. The other statements describe actions more typical of other parts of the gait cycle: progressing over a stable limb corresponds to stance; rapid weight transfer onto the outstretched limb relates to weight-bearing transitions rather than the initial swing.

Initial swing is the early part of the swing phase, when the foot has just left the floor and the leg begins to move forward. The defining action is the thigh starting to advance as the foot comes up off the ground, driven by hip flexion to start forward progression and help clear the foot. That makes the option describing thigh advancement as the foot leaves the floor the best fit. The other statements describe actions more typical of other parts of the gait cycle: progressing over a stable limb corresponds to stance; rapid weight transfer onto the outstretched limb relates to weight-bearing transitions rather than the initial swing.