When the right leg is going through swing, what occurs at the pelvis?

When the right leg is going through swing, what occurs at the pelvis?

• A. Bilateral Pelvic Elevation
• B. Right Pelvic Drop
• C. Left Pelvic Drop
• D. No Pelvic Movement

Answer: (B)

During swing of the right leg, the body is supported by the left leg, so the pelvis tends to tilt downward on the moving (swing) side in the frontal plane. Gravity and the need for leg clearance cause the right side of the pelvis to drop slightly while the left side remains relatively elevated to support the weight. That is why a right pelvic drop occurs when the right leg is advancing. The other possibilities don’t fit normal swing-phase mechanics: there isn’t a requirement for both sides to elevate together, and the left side dropping would indicate a different pattern than the one produced by the swinging leg’s motion. No pelvic movement would ignore the observable obliquity that accompanies swing.

During swing of the right leg, the body is supported by the left leg, so the pelvis tends to tilt downward on the moving (swing) side in the frontal plane. Gravity and the need for leg clearance cause the right side of the pelvis to drop slightly while the left side remains relatively elevated to support the weight. That is why a right pelvic drop occurs when the right leg is advancing.

The other possibilities don’t fit normal swing-phase mechanics: there isn’t a requirement for both sides to elevate together, and the left side dropping would indicate a different pattern than the one produced by the swinging leg’s motion. No pelvic movement would ignore the observable obliquity that accompanies swing.