The subtalar joint is in which position during the swing phase of gait?

The subtalar joint is in which position during the swing phase of gait?

• A. Supinated
• B. Pronated
• C. Neutral
• D. Plantarflexed

Answer: (A)

In swing, the foot is off the ground and doesn’t need shock absorption, so the subtalar joint moves toward a supinated, more inverted position to create a rigid lever for the upcoming push-off and for quick reorientation for heel strike. Supination at the subtalar joint—involving inversion of the hindfoot and coupling with plantarflexion and adduction—locks the midfoot so energy is efficiently transferred into propulsion. Pronation is the stance-phase strategy for shock absorption, not the swing-phase state. Neutral would mean no tilt, but gait typically moves toward a supinated, stiff configuration in swing to prepare for the next contact. Plantarflexion describes ankle joint motion, not the subtalar position, so it doesn’t define the subtalar state during swing.

In swing, the foot is off the ground and doesn’t need shock absorption, so the subtalar joint moves toward a supinated, more inverted position to create a rigid lever for the upcoming push-off and for quick reorientation for heel strike. Supination at the subtalar joint—involving inversion of the hindfoot and coupling with plantarflexion and adduction—locks the midfoot so energy is efficiently transferred into propulsion. Pronation is the stance-phase strategy for shock absorption, not the swing-phase state. Neutral would mean no tilt, but gait typically moves toward a supinated, stiff configuration in swing to prepare for the next contact. Plantarflexion describes ankle joint motion, not the subtalar position, so it doesn’t define the subtalar state during swing.