Abnormal Pronation: foot pronation occurring when the ipsilateral hip is externally rotating.


Pronation driven by hip drive is, by definition, normal pronation: internal hip rotation, pronates the ipsilateral foot; external hip rotation, supinates the ipsialteral foot.

Normal Foot Motion

  • From Heel Strike to Flat Foot, the foot (subtalar joint) is pronating (due to internal hip rotation).  This unlocks the forefoot and allows it to adapt to uneven ground surfaces. 
  • From Flat Foot to Heel Off, the foot (subtalar joint) is supinating (due to external hip rotation).  This locks the forefoot and allows it to function as a rigid lever at Toe (Push) Off. 

(Zitzlesperger S 1960.The mechanics of the foot based on the concept of the skeleton as a statically indetermined space framework. Clinical Orthopedics, 16:47-63)