Which gait is described by excessive hip and knee flexion with forward trunk lean?

Which gait is described by excessive hip and knee flexion with forward trunk lean?

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

Answer: (A)

This gait is crouched gait. The defining feature is very flexed hips and knees with the trunk tipped forward as a way to move despite the flexed joints. This pattern is commonly seen in cerebral palsy with bilateral leg involvement and reflects a compensatory strategy to maintain balance and forward progression. Diplegic gait also involves both legs but typically shows leg adduction and a scissoring pattern rather than a persistent, pronounced forward trunk lean with the joints held in extreme flexion. Parkinsonian gait features a stooped, shuffling style with small steps and reduced arm swing, not the extreme flexion pattern described. Hemiplegic gait involves weakness on one side, often with leg circumduction or dragging rather than a bilateral crouch.

This gait is crouched gait. The defining feature is very flexed hips and knees with the trunk tipped forward as a way to move despite the flexed joints. This pattern is commonly seen in cerebral palsy with bilateral leg involvement and reflects a compensatory strategy to maintain balance and forward progression.

Diplegic gait also involves both legs but typically shows leg adduction and a scissoring pattern rather than a persistent, pronounced forward trunk lean with the joints held in extreme flexion. Parkinsonian gait features a stooped, shuffling style with small steps and reduced arm swing, not the extreme flexion pattern described. Hemiplegic gait involves weakness on one side, often with leg circumduction or dragging rather than a bilateral crouch.