David Pomarino
Praxis Pomarino, Germany
Title: The differential diagnostic of idiopathic toe walking
Biography
Biography: David Pomarino
Abstract
Idiopathic toe walking (ITW) is the persistence of the tip-toe walking pattern after two years of age. The diagnosis is made by ruling out any neurological or orthopedic condition which causes this walking anomaly. There are other medical conditions in which the weight bearing occurs on the forefoot which can lead to misdiagnosis and misguided treatment. The main goal of this publication is to provide a concise review of idiopathic toe walking and its classification according to clinical characteristics found among children with a tip-toe walking pattern. In addition, we will point out some physical characteristics that may help to differentiate toe walking from other medical conditions in which the gait pattern occurs on the forefoot as well. Typical conditions which are commonly known to cause a pathological forefoot gait, like autism and tethered cord, are intentionally excluded from this article. This review highlights the importance of the observation of the foot features, gastrocnemius shape and gait analysis during the clinical examination to distinguish idiopathic toe walking from other conditions.