Trendelenburg Gait

Excerpt

Trendelenburg gait is an abnormal gait resulting from a defective hip abductor mechanism. The primary muscle group involved is the gluteal musculature (see Image. Gluteus Muscles), including the gluteus medius and minimus muscles (see Image. Muscles of the Hip and Thigh and Image. Hip Adductors). The weakness of these muscles causes drooping of the pelvis to the contralateral side while walking. The other causes will include any local hip pathology that may result in impaired hip abduction and sagging of the contralateral hip (see Image. Trendelenburg Gait). The gait was named after a German surgeon, Friedrich Trendelenburg, who first reported the test related to this gait in 1895. The physical examination test he described helps uncover hip abductor weakness or pathology in a patient with developmental dysplasia of the hip.