Trendelenburg gait

Trendelenburg gait

DiseasesDB	29422

The Trendelenburg gait is an abnormal gait caused by weakness of the abductor muscles of the lower limb, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. People with a lesion of superior gluteal nerve have weakness of abducting the thigh at the hip. This type of gait may also be seen in L5 radiculopathy and after poliomyelitis, but is then usually seen in combination with foot drop.

During the stance phase, the weakened abductor muscles allow the pelvis to tilt down on the opposite side. To compensate, the trunk lurches to the weakened side to attempt to maintain a level pelvis throughout the gait cycle. The pelvis sags on the opposite side of the lesioned superior gluteal nerve.

Biofeedback and physical therapy have been used in treatment.

References

• Wheeless' textbook of orthopaedics [1]
• Ropper and Brown, Adams and Victor's Principles of Neurology, 8th edition(2005), p.105

What causes Trendelenberg Gait? -- Damage to Superior Gluteal nerve.

The result is inability of the Gluteus Medius to Abduct and Laterally rotate. The Abduction action is affected more than the latter. Due to the loss of ABduction when balancing on one leg the unsupported pelvis drops. This results in 1)ADDuction of thigh on the injured side 2)"drop" of pelvis on affected side The person then compensates to clear the affected leg in Swing phase of Gait by "hip hiking" of unaffected side and leans toward the affected side. This is because the injury causes a "long limb" on the unaffected side.

Example : Right Superior Gluteal nerve injury 1) ADDuction of RIGHT leg (Due to loss of RIGHT Gluteus Medius action 2) Drop of LEFT pelvis 2) "Hip hike" of LEFT side and lean of trunk to RIGHT side to clear LEFT Lower Extremity during swing phase of gait cycle. This is termed "Waddling". Other ways person can compensate is "Steppage gait" defined by swing of the unaffected foot (in this case LEFT foot). Steppage gait also called "swing-out-gait" is used in footdrop caused by injury to common fibular nerve (a branch of Sciatic nerve)

See also

• Gait abnormality
• Trendelenburg position
• Trendelenburg's sign
• Snapping hip syndrome
• Friedrich Trendelenburg

External links

• 1798635535 at GPnotebook
• Anatomy at Dartmouth hip/hip%20clin%20correl/corr6