Which gait is defined by excessive hip and knee flexion with forward trunk lean and high energy cost?

Which gait is defined by excessive hip and knee flexion with forward trunk lean and high energy cost?

• A. Diplegic gait
• B. Parkinsonian gait
• C. Crouched gait
• D. Hemiplegic gait

Answer: (C)

This gait pattern highlights how excessive flexion and compensatory posture drive walking difficulty and energy use. In crouched gait, both the hips and knees stay markedly flexed throughout the step, and the trunk leans forward. This posture often emerges when spastic hip and knee flexors (and sometimes hip adductors) resist normal extension, so the person adopts a crouched position to move forward. The forward trunk helps with balance and progression, but it makes each step mechanically inefficient, forcing the muscles to work harder and increasing the overall energy cost of walking. Other gait patterns look different: Parkinsonian gait typically features a stooped posture with small, shuffling steps and reduced arm swing; hemiplegic gait shows weakness on one side with leg drag or circumduction; diplegic gait often involves scissoring of the legs due to adductor spasticity rather than the pronounced forward-leaning, deeply flexed posture seen in crouched gait.

This gait pattern highlights how excessive flexion and compensatory posture drive walking difficulty and energy use. In crouched gait, both the hips and knees stay markedly flexed throughout the step, and the trunk leans forward. This posture often emerges when spastic hip and knee flexors (and sometimes hip adductors) resist normal extension, so the person adopts a crouched position to move forward. The forward trunk helps with balance and progression, but it makes each step mechanically inefficient, forcing the muscles to work harder and increasing the overall energy cost of walking.

Other gait patterns look different: Parkinsonian gait typically features a stooped posture with small, shuffling steps and reduced arm swing; hemiplegic gait shows weakness on one side with leg drag or circumduction; diplegic gait often involves scissoring of the legs due to adductor spasticity rather than the pronounced forward-leaning, deeply flexed posture seen in crouched gait.