Gait Evaluation with Emphasis on Knee Position

The above video emphasizes 3 common gait findings when focusing on the knee joint area:

1. Normal Knee Alignment and Patellar (Kneecap) Tracking
2. Genu Valgum or Knock Knees, also called Malicious Malalignment Syndrome, or Squinting Patellae
3. Genu Varum/Tibial Varum, also called Bow Leggedness

Genu Varum or Valgum have dramatic treatment options including muscle strength and flexibility issues, Orthotic and Shoe issues, activity issues, and bracing issues. Gait evaluation not only serves to identify the problem, but should be used as various treatment modalities are tried to check their effectiveness.

     For example, foot orthotic devices can be used to help a patient to get straighter knees due to genu valgum. But, gait evaluation can check on the success of your treatment and perhaps objectively suggest further modifications. Several months of physical therapy, Pilates, yoga, body work, ballet, roller skating, etc, can help patients turn their knees outward, but gait evaluation show if the treatment is succeeding.

     Therefore, use gait evaluation to monitor how well certain treatments or the overall treatment is working to change the patterns of malicious malalignment syndrome or excessive bowleggedness when these gait patterns are causing pain syndromes.