Gait

This article is a stub.

A gait disturbance is a gait pattern that deviates from a "normal" gait. Synchrony, fluency, smoothness, and symmetry may be affected. A gait disturbance can be caused by problems at any level of the neuraxis, and they can be classified on an anatomical basis. This type of classification scheme categorises gait disturbances into low-level, middle-level, and high-level gait disorders. Particularly in the elderly, multiple factors may be in play causing a gait disturbance.

Gait Disorders

Higher, Middle, and Lower Level Gait Disorder Anatomical Correlations.

Levels	Anatomical Level	Balance and Gait Pattern
Higher	Psychological / psychiatric	Variable: slow, buckling knees
Higher	Cortical and subcortical	Different patterns: cautious, parkinsonian, ataxic, spastic, magnetic, gait ignition failure, disequilibrium
Middle	Basal ganglia	Parkinsonian / dystonic / choreic
Middle	Thalamus	Astasia / ataxia
Middle	Cerebellum	Cerebellar ataxia
Middle	Brain stem	Ataxia / spasticity
Middle	Spinal cord	Spastic gait / tabetic gait
Lower	Peripheral nerve Proprioception, vestibular visual	Sensory ataxia / vestibular disequilibrium / visual disequilibrium
Lower	Neuromuscular junction	Waddling
Lower	Muscle	Waddling, steppage, Trendelenburg
Lower	Skeleton	Antalgic / compensatory for deformities

See below for a demonstration of neurological gait conditions (Hemiplegic, Parkinsonian, Cerebellar, Stomping, Scissoring, Trendelenburg, Foot-drop, Choreiform)