Pathologic gait.

The diagnosis of gait deviations and their causes requires three levels of knowledge. First is an awareness of the functional limitations caused by each type of abnormality (contracture, muscle weakness, pain, and spasticity). Second is familiarity with normal function. Third is having a trained eye or gait analysis system that is capable of identifying the gait deviations. Once diagnosis is complete, a fourth requirement is the ability to use the findings to set up an appropriate treatment regimen.