[An uneasy balance]

Impairment of mobility is common in older people. Early detection of this impairment can identify persons at risk of a decrease in the ability to perform activities of daily living, recurrent falls and deconditioning. Using only standard neuromuscular and orthopedic examinations physicians may overlook important deficits in mobility. Direct assessment is necessary to identify such deficits. Several formal gait assessment instruments are available, such as the Tinetti performance-based mobility assessment. In order to illustrate the additional value of functional assessment the medical history of two patients is described.