gait

Manner of walking.

- antalgic g. a characteristic g. resulting from pain on weightbearing in which the stance phase of g. is shortened on the affected side.

- ataxic g. SYN: cerebellar g..

- calcaneal g. a g. disturbance, characterized by walking on heel, due to paralysis of the calf muscles, seen following poliomyelitis and in some other neurologic diseases.

- cerebellar g. wide-based g. with lateral veering, unsteadiness, and irregularity of steps; often with a tendency to fall to one or other side, forward or backward. SYN: ataxic g..

- Charcot g. the g. of hereditary ataxia.

- circumduction g. SYN: hemiplegic g..

- equine g. SYN: high-steppage g..

- festinating g. g. in which the trunk is flexed, legs are flexed at the knees and hips, but stiff, while the steps are short and progressively more rapid; characteristically seen with parkinsonism (1) and other neurologic diseases. SYN: festination.

- gluteus maximus g. compensatory backward propulsion of trunk to maintain center of gravity over the supporting lower extremity.

- gluteus medius g. compensatory list of body (or throw of trunk) to the weak gluteal side, to place the center of gravity over the supporting lower extremity.

- helicopod g. a g., seen in some conversion reactions or hysterical disorders, in which the feet describe half circles. SYN: helicopodia.

- hemiplegic g. g. in which the leg is stiff, without flexion at knee and ankle, and with each step is rotated away from the body, then towards it, forming a semicircle. SYN: circumduction g., spastic g..

- high-steppage g. a g. in which the foot is raised high to avoid catching a drooping foot and brought down suddenly in a flapping manner; often seen in peroneal nerve palsy ( i.e., foot-drop) and tabes. SYN: equine g..

- hysterical g. a variety of bizarre gaits seen with hysteria-conversion reaction; usually the foot is dragged or pushed ahead, instead of lifted, while walking; frequently the foot is held dorsiflexed and inverted.

- scissor g. g. in which each leg swings medially as well as forward on walking; usually due to bilateral lower extremity spasticity, the result of cerebral palsy.

- spastic g. SYN: hemiplegic g..

- steppage g. a g. in which the advancing foot is lifted higher than usual so that it can clear the ground, because it cannot be dorsiflexed. Seen with peroneal neuropathies and other disorders causing foot dorsiflexion weakness. See high-steppage g.. SYN: steppage.

- toppling g. a g. in which the steps are uncertain and hesitant, and the patient totters and sometimes falls; probably due to a balance disorder; may be seen in elderly patients after a stroke.

- Trendelenburg g. SYN: Trendelenburg sign.

- waddling g. rolling g. in which the weight-bearing hip is not stabilized; it bulges outward with each step, while the opposite side of the pelvis drops, resulting in alternating lateral trunk movements; due to gluteus medius muscle weakness, and seen with muscular dystrophies, among other disorders. SYN: waddle.

* * *

gait 'gāt n

1) a manner of walking or moving on foot

2) a sequence of foot movements (as a walk, trot, pace, or canter) by which a horse or a dog moves forward

* * *

(gāt) the manner or style of walking. See also gait cycle, under cycle.