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Trendelenburg gait is an abnormal way of walking caused by problems with the hip area, such as a dislocated hip bone or muscle problems. It is named after Friedrich Trendelenburg, who described the gait in 1895. The gait is characterized by a downward movement of the pelvis when the foot is lifted, resulting in short steps and a tendency to lean to the affected side. A Trendelenburg test can be performed to diagnose the condition, which may be caused by ruptures or dislocations of the pelvis, muscle wasting conditions, or nerve damage.
Because the human body uses a mechanical system of muscles and bones to move, unusual movements can occur when a person has abnormalities in this system. One such abnormality is Trendelenburg gait, which indicates that a person has problems with the hip area. Conditions that can produce the sign include a dislocated hip bone or problems with the muscles in the area.
Commonly in medicine, a particular medical technique or diagnostic sign is named after the first person who specified the sign. The gait is named after a man named Friedrich Trendelenburg who described what an unusual way of walking looks like in some patients. In 1895, Trendelenburg observed groups of people showing problems with the pelvic area and with walking.
In a healthy person, both legs support the person’s weight equally. When a person walks, they necessarily lift one foot off the ground for each step and temporarily carry all of the person’s weight on one leg. The pelvic bones and the muscles that work together with the pelvic bone work in efficient concert with each other. When a person has medical bone or muscle problems, the body’s weight distribution and movement can vary greatly.
Usually the pelvis, which is the large, broad bony structure where both the spine and leg bones connect, moves to the side of the body where the foot is lifted. With this type of gait, the person cannot lift the side of the pelvis to help lift the foot and transfer weight to the other leg. Instead, the person’s pelvis moves downward, in the opposite fashion. This reduces the effectiveness of the foot lift, and the affected person typically bends the leg more than usual at the knee to compensate for the lack of lift. Other indicators of Trendelenburg gait include short steps to the unaffected side and the person’s tendency to lean to the affected side as they walk.
If a doctor suspects a hip problem in a patient, they may perform a Trendelenburg test, which involves the patient standing on one foot. The doctor examines the hip area for a sag on one side of the pelvis and also checks for lack of balance. If a patient exhibits a Trendelenburg gait, she could be suffering from different types of disease.
Ruptures or dislocations of the pelvis are possible causes of a Trendelenburg gait. Alternatively, the muscles in the region may be involved and a variety of muscle wasting conditions may cause the problem. Nerve damage is another possibility, as the nerves control the movement of the muscles. Polio is a nervous condition that can show Trendelenburg gait as a symptom, although this disease is very rare in countries with polio vaccination programs.
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