Joint Strike Force

This repair technique was further illustrated using a damaged F/A-18 horizontal stabilator (Jones et al. [2]). The work was performed as part of the Composite Repair Engineering Development Program (CREDP) which is a joint program between the Canadian Forces, the Royal Australian Air Force and the United States Navy. The stabilator described in the report was initially classed as unserviceable and irreparable due to two fragment strikes from a tracer rocket. 

At heel strike, the force (the reaction between the ground and the heel) is transmitted up the lower extremity into the pelvis. This pulse of energy is filtered by the knee and the hip to adjust how the force arrives at the spine. The force curve is adjusted for timing and shape by flexion of the knee and/or hip. The force pulse arrives at the lumbar spine, a lateral bend is produced and, because of the arrangement of the facet joints, axial rotation is produced as a resultant. Axial compression associated with lateral bending induces counter-rotation of the shoulder and pelvis. So gait is able to occur without torque being transmitted to the surface on which the person moves. 

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