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What is an Abductory Twist?

An abductory twist is an observation made during gait in which there is a sudden abduction of the heel just as the heel comes off the ground. Some call this a medial heel whip.

There are two schools of thought as to what causes an abductory twist:

1) The one described in the video is the most commonly believed reason and is due to a foot that is overpronating as the leg is externally rotating. As soon as load comes of the heel, this causes the foot to suddenly abduct. The pathomechanics of this is discussed in detail here. Those who subscribe to this reason tend to call it an abduct0ry twist.

2) The other believed cause is that there is a weakness of the hip abductors. Those who subscribe to this view tend to call it a medial heel whip.

 

October 8, 2014 Posted by | Biomechanics | | Comments Off on What is an Abductory Twist?