During the ankle strategy in backward sway, which set of muscles is engaged?

• A. Gastrocs, Hamstrings, Paraspinals
• B. Anterior Tibialis, Quadriceps, Abs
• C. Hip Flexors, Abs
• D. Hip Extensors, Paraspinals

Answer: (B)

In the ankle strategy, small perturbations are managed by muscles at the ankle first, with distal muscles activating to restore balance and then the rest of the body stabilizing as needed. For backward sway, the corrective action starts with the dorsiflexors—the muscles at the front of the shin (anterior tibialis). Activating these pulls the foot upward, bringing the body back toward the center by creating a forward-directed corrective torque at the ankle.

To keep the knee and trunk stable as this ankle motion occurs, the knee extensors and the abdominal muscles co-contract. The quadriceps help maintain knee extension and alignment, while the abdominals brace the trunk to prevent excessive forward lean and to support the transfer of the corrective effort up the kinetic chain.

Other patterns, like engaging the calf muscles (gastrocnemius/soleus) and paraspinals or hip extensors, align more with a hip-strategy or larger perturbations, not the typical ankle-dominant response to a small backward sway.