Pathological Gait

Question 1

The physical pathologies that result in impaired gait are:

Answer 1

• Motor deficits
• sensory deficits
• deformity
• pain

Question 2

A patient with weak ankle dorsiflexors may compensate by using steppage gait.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Hip hiking occurs when the swing side hip is elevated to lift the swing limb forward as it moves forward. Typically, this will occur with:

Answer 3

• a long swing limb

- a short stance limb

Question 4

Circumduction is another strategy for clearing a long swing limb. The compensatory move uses stance side hip adduction to arc the stance foot laterally to clear the foot through the full range.

Answer 4

False- abduction

Question 5

Posterior trunk bending serves to move the center of gravity anterior to the hip axis for patients with weak hip extensors.

Answer 5

False

Question 6

Steppage gait is partly characterized by:

Answer 6

Excessive hip and knee flexion during swing phase

Question 7

Patients trying to clear a relatively longer swing limb may try to help clear the residual limb by using different compensatory deviations including which of the following?

Answer 7

• lateral trunk bending toward the stance side
• circumduction
• vaulting
• hip hiking

Question 8

When the knee is unstable in extension, knee stability can be improved by moving the knee axis posterior to the center of gravity.

This hyperextension compensates for weakness of the knee extensors or flexors, spastic knee extensors, plantarflexion contracture, gastric weakness, or excessive orthotic plantarflexion.

Over time, simpler hyper extension can become genu recurvatum as the ligaments and soft tissues stretch and allow a greater extension range of motion.

Answer 8

True

Question 9

One of the most obvious deviations of weak dorsiflexors is:

Answer 9

During swing phase, the forefoot fails to clear the ground; during stance phase, foot slap occurs from initial contact to loading response