Which statement about the swing phase is true?

Which statement about the swing phase is true?

• A. It accounts for the majority of the gait cycle
• B. It occurs only during the stance leg
• C. It includes the period when both feet are on the ground
• D. It lasts roughly 40% of the gait cycle for one limb

Answer: (D)

In gait, the swing phase is the portion of the cycle when the foot is off the ground, from toe-off to the next heel strike. For one limb, this lasts about 40% of the gait cycle, with the remaining ~60% spent in stance when the foot is on the ground. That makes the statement about it lasting roughly 40% the best description. The other ideas don’t fit: the swing phase is not the majority of the cycle, it doesn’t occur only during the stance leg (it’s the moving leg that is in swing), and it doesn’t include the period when both feet are on the ground (that double-support time happens during stance).

In gait, the swing phase is the portion of the cycle when the foot is off the ground, from toe-off to the next heel strike. For one limb, this lasts about 40% of the gait cycle, with the remaining ~60% spent in stance when the foot is on the ground. That makes the statement about it lasting roughly 40% the best description. The other ideas don’t fit: the swing phase is not the majority of the cycle, it doesn’t occur only during the stance leg (it’s the moving leg that is in swing), and it doesn’t include the period when both feet are on the ground (that double-support time happens during stance).