Quadriceps Gait

Learn about quadriceps gait, including its definition, causes, characteristic walking pattern, quadriceps muscle weakness, knee instability and associated clinical conditions.

Definition

Quadriceps gait is an abnormal gait characterized by the use of the hand to push the thigh or knee into extension, or by forcefully extending the knee during weight bearing, to compensate for weakness or paralysis of the quadriceps femoris muscle and prevent knee buckling.

Causes

• Weakness or paralysis of the quadriceps femoris muscle.
• Femoral nerve injury.
• L2–L4 nerve root lesions.
• Conditions affecting quadriceps function, such as poliomyelitis or muscle injury.

Gait deviations during the Gait cycle

1. Initial contact: The knee may be positioned in extension to prepare for weight bearing.
2. Loading response: The patient may forcefully extend the knee or use the hand to stabilize it to prevent knee buckling.
3. Mid stance: The knee is maintained in extension, sometimes with recurvatum (hyperextension), to provide stability.
4. Terminal stance: The knee remains extended or hyperextended to maintain stability during single-limb support.
5. Swing phase: The patient may have difficulty controlling knee flexion and extension depending on the degree of muscle weakness.

Compensatory Mechanisms

• Hand pressure on the anterior thigh to stabilize the knee.
• Knee hyperextension to maintain stability.
• Trunk movements to assist limb advancement.

Functional Problems

• Difficulty controlling the knee during weight bearing.
• Reduced walking efficiency.
• Difficulty ascending and descending stairs.
• Increased risk of knee hyperextension and joint stress.

Reference:

1. O’Sullivan SB, Schmitz TJ, Fulk GD. Physical Rehabilitation. Elsevier.
2. Magee DJ. Orthopedic Physical Assessment. Elsevier.

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Joint Movements During Gait: Sagittal, Frontal and Transverse Plane Motions

Gait Cycle Phases

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Gait Analysis: Definition, Spatial and Temporal Variables

Gait Cycle: Definition, Phases and Gait Analysis with Diagrams

Human Gait

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