Functional Gait Assessment Flashcards
Functional Gait Assessment
Instructions:
* There are specific intrustions and set up for each item of the FGA
Considerations:
* Individuals should walk without assistance of another person
* Document any assistive device and/or bracing used
* Some items specify a score based on use of an assistive device; if use of a device is not specified for scoring in a particular item, the patient should be tested without the device
* Subsequent assessments should be completed with same device
Non specific older adult cuttoff score
</22/30 = fall risks
Assess postural stability and ability to perform motor tasks with walking
10 items: gait on level surface, change in gait speed, gait with horizontal and vertical head turns,
gait with 180° pivot turn, stepping over obstacles, gait with narrow base of support, gait with
eyes closed, backwards gait and stairs.
em 1: Gait Level Surfaces1
Instructions: Walk at your normal speed from here to the next mark (20 ft [6 m])
Scoring:
3 Normal: Walks 20 ft (6 m) in less than 5.5 seconds, no assistive devices, good speed, no
evidence for imbalance, normal gait pattern, deviates no more than 6 in (15.24 cm) outside
of the 12-in (30.48-cm) walkway width.
2 Mild Impairment: Walks 20 ft (6 m) in less than 7 seconds but greater than 5.5 seconds,
uses assistive device, slower speed, mild gait deviations, or deviates 6-10 in (15.24-25.4 cm)
outside of the 12-in (30.48-cm) walkway width.
1 Moderate Impairment: Walks 20 ft (6 m); slow speed, abnormal gait pattern, evidence for
imbalance, or deviates 10-15 in (25.4-38.1 cm) outside of the 12-in (30.48-cm) walkway width.
Requires more than 7 seconds to ambulate 20 ft (6 m).
0 Severe Impairment: Cannot walk 20 ft (6 m) without assistance, severe gait deviations
or imbalance, deviates greater than 15 in (38.1 cm) outside of the 12-in (30.48-cm) walkway
width or reaches and touches the wall.
Item 2: Change in Gait Speed
Instructions: Begin walking at your normal pace (for 5 ft [1.5 m]). When I tell you “go,” walk as fast
as you can (for 5 ft [1.5 m]). When I tell you “slow,” walk as slowly as you can (for 5 ft [1.5 m]).
Scoring:
3 Normal: Able to smoothly change walking speed without loss of balance or gait deviation.
Shows a significant difference in walking speeds between normal, fast, and slow speeds.
Deviates no more than 6 in (15.24 cm) outside of the 12-in (30.48-cm) walkway width.
2 Mild Impairment: Is able to change speed but demonstrates mild gait deviations, deviates
6-10 in (15.24-25.4 cm) outside of the 12-in (30.48-cm) walkway width, or no gait deviations
but unable to achieve a significant change in velocity, or uses an assistive device.
1 Moderate Impairment: Makes only minor adjustments to walking speed, or accomplishes a
change in speed with significant gait deviations, deviates 10-15 in (25.4-38.1 cm) outside of the
12-in (30.48-cm) walkway width, or changes speed but loses balance but is able to recover
and continue walking.
0 Severe Impairment: Cannot change speeds, deviates greater than 15 in (38.1 cm) outside of
the 12-in (30.48-cm) walkway width, or loses balance and has to reach for wall or be caught.
o Item 3: Gait with Horizontal Head Turns
Instructions: Walk from here to the next mark 20 ft (6 m) away. Begin walking at your
normal pace. Keep walking straight; after 3 steps, turn your head to the right and keep
walking straight while looking to the right. After 3 more steps, turn your head to the left
and keep walking straight while looking left. Continuing alternating looking right and left
every 3 steps until you have completed 2 repetitions in each direction.
Scoring:
3 Normal: Performs head turns smoothly with no change in gait. Deviates no more than
6 in (15.24 cm) outside of the 12-in (30.48-cm) walkway width
2 Mild Impairment: Performs head turns smoothly with slight change in gait velocity
(eg, minor disruption to smooth gait path), deviates 6-10 in (15.24-25.4 cm) outside of
the 12-in (30.48-cm) walkway width, or uses an assistive device.
1 Moderate Impairment: Performs head turns with moderate change in gait velocity, slows
down, deviates 10-15 in (25.4-38.1 cm) outside of the 12-in (30.48-cm) walkway width but
recovers, can continue to walk.
0 Severe Impairment: Performs task with severe disruption of gait (eg, staggers 15 in (38.1
cm) outside of the 12-in (30.48-cm) walkway width, loses balance, stops, or reaches for wall)
o Item 4: Gait with Vertical Head Turns
Instructions: Walk from here to the next mark 20 ft (6 m) away. Begin walking at your normal
pace. Keep walking straight; after 3 steps, tip your head up and keep walking straight while
looking up. After 3 more steps, turn your head down and keep walking straight while looking
down. Continuing alternating looking up and down every 3 steps until you have completed 2
repetitions in each direction.
Scoring:
3 Normal: Performs head turns smoothly with no change in gait. Deviates no more than 6 in
(15.24 cm) outside of the 12-in (30.48-cm) walkway width.
2 Mild Impairment: Performs task with slight change in gait velocity (eg, minor disruption to
smooth gait path), deviates 6-10 in (15.24-25.4 cm) outside of the 12-in (30.48-cm) walkway
width or uses assistive device.
1 Moderate Impairment: Performs task with moderate change in gait velocity, slows down,
deviates 10-15 in (25.4-38.1 cm) outside of the 12-in (30.48-cm) walkway width but recovers,
can continue to walk.
0 Severe Impairment: Performs task with severe disruption of gait (eg, staggers 15 in (38.1
cm) outside of the 12-in (30.48-cm) walkway width, loses balance, stops, reaches for wall).
Item 5: Gait and Pivot Turn
Instructions: Begin with walking at your normal pace. When I tell you, “turn and stop,” turn as
quickly as you can to face the opposite direction and stop.
Scoring:
3 Normal: Pivot turns safely within 3 seconds and stops quickly with no loss of balance.
2 Mild Impairment: Pivot turns safely in greater than 3 seconds and stops with no loss of
balance, or pivot turns safely within 3 seconds and stops with mild imbalance, requires small
steps to catch balance.
1 Moderate Impairment: Turns slowly, requires verbal cueing, or requires several small steps to
catch balance following turn and stop.
0 Severe Impairment: Cannot turn safely, requires assistance to turn and stop.
o Item 6: Step over Obstacle
Starting Position: Patient is standing quietly in a comfortable position at the start of the 20
ft (6 m) marked walking area with an obstacle (shoeboxes) positioned perpendicular to and
halfway down the walkway
Instructions: Begin walking at your normal speed. When you come to the shoebox, step over
it, not around it, and keep walking.
Scoring:
3 Normal: Is able to step over two stacked shoe boxes taped together (9 in [22.86 cm] total
height) without changing gait speed; no evidence of imbalance.
2 Mild Impairment: Is able to step over one shoe box (4.5 in [11.43 cm] total height) without
changing gait speed; no evidence of imbalance.
1 Moderate Impairment: Is able to step over one shoe box (4.5 in [11.43 cm] total height) but
must slow down and adjust steps to clear box safely. May require verbal cueing.
0 Severe Impairment: Cannot perform without assistance.
o Item 7: Gait with Narrow Base of Support
Starting Position: Patient is standing quietly in a comfortable position with arms folded across
chest at the start of a hallway allowing for 12 ft (3.6 m)
Instructions: Walk on the floor with arms folded across the chest, feet aligned heel to toe in
tandem for a distance of 12 ft [3.6 m]. The number of steps taken in a straight line are counted
for a maximum of 10 steps.
Scoring:
3 Normal: Is able to ambulate for 10 steps heel to toe with no staggering.
2 Mild Impairment: Ambulates 7-9 steps.
1 Moderate Impairment: Ambulates 4-7 steps.
0 Severe Impairment: Ambulates less than 4 steps heel to toe or cannot perform
without assistance.
o Item 8: Gait with Eyes Closed
Instructions: Walk at your normal speed from here to the next mark (20 ft [6 m]) with your
eyes closed.
Scoring:
3 Normal: Walks 20 ft (6 m), no assistive devices, good speed, no evidence of imbalance,
normal gait pattern, deviates no more than 6 in (15.24 cm) outside of the 12-in (30.48-cm)
walkway width. Ambulates 20 ft (6 m) in less than 7 seconds.
2 Mild Impairment: Walks 20 ft (6 m), uses assistive device, slower speed, mild gait
deviations, deviates 6-10 in (15.24-25.4 cm) outside of the 12-in (30.48-cm) walkway
width. Ambulates 20 ft (6 m) in less than 9 seconds but greater than 7 seconds.
1 Moderate Impairment: Walks 20 ft (6 m), slow speed, abnormal gait pattern, evidence for
imbalance, deviates 10-15 in (25.4-38.1 cm) outside of the 12-in (30.48-cm) walkway width.
Requires more than 9 seconds to ambulate 20 ft (6 m).
0 Severe Impairment: Cannot walk 20 ft (6 m) without assistance, severe gait deviations
or imbalance, deviates greater than 15 in (38.1 cm) outside of the 12-in (30.48-cm) walkway
width or will not attempt task.
Item 9: Ambulating Backwards
Starting Position: Patient is standing quietly in a comfortable position at the start of the 20 ft
(6 m) marked walking area facing backwards
Instructions: Walk backwards until I tell you to stop.
Scoring:
3 Normal: Walks 20 ft (6 m), no assistive devices, good speed, no evidence for imbalance,
normal gait pattern, deviates no more than 6 in (15.24 cm) outside the 12-in (30.48-cm)
walkway width.
2 Mild Impairment: Walks 20 ft (6 m), uses assistive device, slower speed, mild gait
deviations, deviates 6-10 in (15.24-25.4 cm) outside of the 12-in (30.48-cm) walkway width.
1 Moderate Impairment: Walks 20 ft (6 m), slow speed, abnormal gait pattern, evidence for
imbalance, deviates 10-15 in (25.4-38.1 cm) outside of the 12-in (30.48-cm) walkway width.
0 Severe Impairment: Cannot walk 20 ft (6 m) without assistance, severe gait deviations
or imbalance, deviates greater than 15 in (38.1 cm) outside of the 12-in (30.48-cm) walkway
width or will not attempt task.
o Item 10: Steps
Starting Position: Patient is standing quietly in a comfortable position at the base of the steps
Instructions: Walk up these stairs as you would at home (i.e. using the rail if necessary). At the
top turn around and walk down.
Scoring:
3 Normal: Alternating feet, no rail.
2 Mild Impairment: Alternating feet, must use rail.
1 Moderate Impairment: Two feet to a stair, must use rail.
0 Severe Impairment: Cannot do safel
