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Updated: Aug 6, 2026
Clinical Assessment of Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters in Patients and Older Adults
Published on: November 7, 2014
The cause of gait disturbance in 425 pediatric patients
Insights
Pediatric limp, a common emergency department visit, often stems from infectious diseases. Prompt evaluation is crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment of children with altered gait.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Pediatric Orthopedics
Background:
- Altered gait in children, whether painful or painless, presents a diagnostic challenge in emergency settings.
- Acute onset of limp or refusal to walk affects approximately 4% of pediatric patient encounters.
- The differential diagnosis for nontraumatic altered locomotion in children is broad.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the spectrum of diagnoses causing nontraumatic altered gait in children.
- To highlight the predominant role of infectious diseases in this pediatric population.
- To inform diagnostic and admission strategies for children presenting with altered gait.
Main Methods:
- Review of pediatric patient encounters presenting with altered gait (limp or refusal to walk).
- Analysis of diagnostic categories, focusing on nontraumatic causes.
- Evaluation of historical, physical, and laboratory findings suggestive of specific etiologies.
Main Results:
- Infectious diseases were found to be the predominant cause of nontraumatic altered gait in children.
- The spectrum of diagnoses is extensive, encompassing various conditions.
- Certain clinical features may suggest an underlying infectious etiology.
Conclusions:
- Infectious etiologies are the leading cause of nontraumatic altered gait in pediatric patients.
- A liberal admission policy is warranted for children with altered gait, especially if signs of infection are present.
- Early recognition and management of infectious causes are critical for favorable outcomes.
Abstract:
Children who seek attention for painful or painless alteration of gait provide a challenge to the emergency department physician who confronts such cases. Children with acute onset of limp or refusal to walk may become the center of diagnostic and therapeutic concern in approximately 4 percent of pediatric patient encounters. The spectrum of diagnoses found in both the outpatient and inpatient populations is extensive. Among the diverse afflictions that can cause nontraumatic altered locomotion in children, infectious diseases predominate. This finding influences a liberal admission policy for patients with altered gait who may have historical, physical, or laboratory features suggestive of an infectious disease.
