Type of limp | Characteristics | Possible etiology |
Antalgic gait | Most common; short-stance phase caused by pain in the weight-bearing extremity | Fracture (including toddler or Salter I fracture), unilateral slipped capital femoral epiphysis, apophysitis, soft tissue injury, transient synovitis, osteomyelitis, septic or other arthritis, foot foreign body, osteochondritis dissecans, hemarthrosis, vasoocclusive crisis, benign or malignant tumor, painful foot lesions (eg, plantar wart, hand-foot-mouth disease, or immunoglobulin A vasculitis [Henoch-Schönlein purpura]) |
Trendelenburg gait | Downward pelvic tilt during the swing phase caused by weakness or spasm in the contralateral gluteus medius muscle | Legg-Calvé-Perthes, unilateral slipped capital femoral epiphysis (moderate to severe chronic slip), or developmental dysplasia of the hip |
Steppage gait | Seen with a foot drop; presents with exaggerated hip and knee flexion during the swing phase to clear the dropped foot from the floor | Neurologic diseases which cause loss of dorsiflexion of the ankle |
Toe-walking gait | Child walks on their toes caused by heel pain or by increased flexor muscle tone in the lower leg | Mild cerebral palsy, Sever disease, heel foreign body, idiopathic, tethered spinal cord |
Vaulting gait | The knee is hyperextended and locked at the end of the stance phase of the gait and the child vaults over the extremity | Limb length discrepancy or abnormal knee mobility |
Stooping gait | Patient shuffles with hip flexed due to irritation of the psoas muscle by intraabdominal inflammation | Appendicitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, psoas muscle abscess |
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