Gait, Balance, and Orthotics Flashcards
7 cards from real NPTE-PT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Gait, Balance, and Orthotics flashcards as text
A patient post-CVA walks with the pelvis dropping on the unaffected side during stance on the affected leg. This is MOST consistent with weakness of which muscle?
Answer: Affected hip abductors
Contralateral pelvic drop (Trendelenburg sign) during single-limb stance on the affected side indicates weakness of the ipsilateral hip abductors.
Which component of a KAFO is MOST important for a patient with severe quadriceps weakness who needs to lock the knee during stance?
Answer: Drop-lock knee joint
A drop-lock (ring-lock) knee joint mechanically locks the knee in full extension, providing stability for patients with severe quadriceps weakness.
During the Romberg test with eyes closed, a patient sways excessively and nearly falls. This finding MOST suggests dysfunction in which system?
Answer: Proprioceptive/vestibular system
The Romberg test isolates vestibular and proprioceptive contributions by removing vision; a positive result implicates somatosensory or vestibular dysfunction.
A patient with Parkinson's disease demonstrates festinating gait. Which description BEST characterizes this deviation?
Answer: Shuffling, accelerating steps with forward trunk lean
Festinating gait in Parkinson's disease is characterized by short, shuffling steps that accelerate involuntarily with a forward-flexed trunk posture.
The normal cadence for an adult walking at comfortable speed is approximately:
Answer: 90–120 steps/minute
Normal comfortable walking cadence in adults is approximately 90–120 steps per minute (steps, not strides).
Which type of AFO is MOST appropriate for a patient who needs mediolateral ankle stability but requires some sagittal plane motion for functional activities?
Answer: Articulated AFO with motion stops
An articulated AFO with adjustable motion stops allows some controlled sagittal plane movement while providing mediolateral stability.
During gait analysis, loading response (initial double support) is characterized by which combination of joint events?
Answer: Hip flexion, knee flexion, ankle plantarflexion
During loading response, the hip flexes slightly, the knee flexes 15–20° for shock absorption, and the ankle plantarflexes to lower the foot to the floor.