Gait

Question 1

What is an antalgic gait?

Answer 1

An antalgic gait describes the manner of walking of someone who is trying to minimise pain in a limb. The commonest cause of the pain is osteoarthritis.

Question 2

What is a high stepping gait?

Answer 2

A patient with foot-drop has a high-stepping gait so as to prevent scraping of the toe on the ground.

Question 3

What is a parkinsonian gait?

Answer 3

1. A parkinsonism gait is the manner of walking that is seen in patients with parkinsonism.

Characteristics of this gait are:

1. hesitation in starting: akinesia
2. small, shuffling, hurried steps: ‘marche a petit pas’
3. festination
4. lack of normal arm swing
5. kinesia paradoxica

Question 4

What is a cerbellar gait?

Answer 4

A drunken gait is the style of walking that is seen in a patient with a cerebellar lesion.

It is characterized by:

1. walking with a wide base or reeling on a narrow base
2. feet may be raised excessively and placed carefully with the patient looking ahead
3. patient may fall to the side of the lesion

Question 5

What is an ataxic gait?

Answer 5

Wide-based gait with loss of heel to toe walking