Foot and ankle history and clinical examination: A guide to everyday practice

Table 4 Different types of abnormal gaits

Type of the gait	Physical findings and observations	Possible cause
Antalgic gait	Short stance phase of the affected side Decrease of the swing phase of the normal side	Pain on weight bearing could be any reason from Back pathology to toe problem, e.g., degenerative hip joint
Ataxic (stamping) gait	Unsteady and uncoordinated walk with a wide base	Cerebral cause Tabes dorsalis
Equinus (tiptoes) gait	Walking on tiptoes	Weak dorsiflexion and/or plantar contractures
Equinovarous gait	Walking on the out border of the foot	CETV
Hemiplegic (circumductory) gait	Moving the whole leg in a half circle path	Spastic muscle
Rocking horse (gluteus maximum) gait	The body shift backward at heel strike then move forward	Weak or hypotonic gluteus maximum
Quadriceps gait	The body leans forward with hyperextension of the knee in the affected side	Radiculopathy or spinal cord pathology
Scissoring gait	One leg crosses over the other	Bilateral spastic adductors
Short leg (Equinus) gait (more than 3 cm)	Minimum: Dropping the pelvis on the affected side Moderate: Walks on forefoot of the short limb Severe: Combination of both	Leg length discrepancy
Steppage gait (high stepping - slapping - foot drop)	No heel strike The foot lands on the floor with a sound like a slap	Foot drop Polio Tibialis anterior dysfunction
Trendelenburg (lurching) gait	Trunk deviation towards the normal side When the foot of the affected side leaves the floor, the pelvis on this side drops	Weak gluteus medius
Waddling gait	Lateral deviation of the trunk with an exaggerated elevation of the hip	Muscular dystrophy