The Determinants of Gait are a set of six distinct movements that occur during the gait cycle to minimize the vertical and horizontal displacement of the body’s center of gravity. The primary purpose of these movements is to make walking more energy-efficient and smooth. Without these determinants, a person’s walk would be an inefficient “compass gait,” characterized by a significant up-and-down motion. The selected text from the Canvas document describes the general gait cycle, but doesn’t go into these specific, energy-saving movements.

The six classic determinants of gait are:

• Pelvic Rotation: The pelvis rotates forward on the side of the swinging leg. This action lengthens the stride and reduces the peak of the body’s center of gravity, smoothing out the vertical path.
• Pelvic Tilt (or Pelvic Obliquity): During the swing phase, the pelvis on the non-weight-bearing side drops slightly. This also helps to lower the body’s center of gravity, preventing an excessive rise as the body moves over the stance leg.
• Knee Flexion in Stance Phase: As the foot makes contact with the ground, the knee flexes slightly. This acts as a shock absorber and prevents the body’s center of gravity from rising too high during the middle of the stance phase.
• Foot and Ankle Mechanisms: This refers to the coordinated movements of the ankle and foot. The plantarflexion of the foot at heel strike and the subsequent dorsiflexion work to smooth the path of the body’s center of gravity.
• Knee and Ankle Interaction: The way the knee and ankle move together also contributes to maintaining a smooth center of gravity. The knee begins to flex after heel strike and extends later in the stance phase, while the ankle’s rotation also changes the effective length of the leg, keeping the body’s center of gravity from oscillating too much.
• Lateral Pelvic Displacement: The body shifts from side to side over the stance leg to keep the center of gravity over the base of support. This reduces the lateral, or side-to-side, displacement of the center of gravity.

Together, these six determinants work to create the smooth, undulating path of the body’s center of gravity, which is essential for an efficient and effortless walk.