Source: Meta AI
Today, I was asked to assess a man who had an obvious Trendelenburg gait, that characteristic dip of the pelvis on one side when walking. At first glance, it looked like a classic case of hip abductor weakness, possibly involving the gluteus medius or minimus.
What stood out to me? No history of trauma, no injection site injury, and surprisingly, he was still pretty *active for his age. However, his posture told a deeper story. There was some kyphosis, mixed with a bit of lordosis, yet he didn’t complain of any pain. In fact, he seemed fine... but something wasn’t right.
Could it be nerve entrapment? Maybe an early sign of superior gluteal nerve involvement? Or something deeper—like muscle dystrophy or age-related muscle atrophy?
Sometimes I wonder, was his family a little too relaxedabout this? Why did no one get him checked earlier? Did they miss the signs? Or maybe they thought it was just "part of aging"? That's what I don't know.
This what I do know:
Trendelenburg gait isn’t just a "funny walk." It tells us that something is off in the kinetic chain, whether it’s muscular, neural, or skeletal. Early assessment could’ve made a big difference.
My boss call me a big fool... But, this case reminded me how important awareness is, not just in medical professionals, but in families too. That slight hip drop might not look like a big deal now, but it could be the beginning of something that deserves attention.