Volume 72, Issue 2 pp. 179-200
INVITED REVIEW

Management Approaches to Spastic Gait Disorders

Sheng Li

Corresponding Author

Sheng Li

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center – Houston, Houston, Texas, USA

TIRR Memorial Hermann, Houston, Texas, USA

Correspondence:

Sheng Li ([email protected])

Contribution: Conceptualization, ​Investigation, Project administration, Supervision, Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing

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Tulsi Pandat

Tulsi Pandat

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center – Houston, Houston, Texas, USA

TIRR Memorial Hermann, Houston, Texas, USA

Contribution: Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing

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Bradley Chi

Bradley Chi

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center – Houston, Houston, Texas, USA

TIRR Memorial Hermann, Houston, Texas, USA

Contribution: Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing

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Daniel Moon

Daniel Moon

Jefferson Moss Magee Rehab, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, USA

Contribution: Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing

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Manuel Mas

Manuel Mas

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico – San Juan, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Contribution: Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing

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First published: 08 April 2025

The objectives of this activity are to: (1) develop a structured approach to the evaluation of spastic gait disorders; (2) be able to incorporate exercise, neuromodulation, spasticity reduction, surgery, and robotics into the management of spastic gait disorders; (3) tailor the approach to evaluation and management of spastic gait disorders to patients with spastic ankle and foot disorders, spastic knee disorders, and neuromuscular disorders.

The AANEM is accredited by the American Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to providing continuing education for physicians. AANEM designates this journal-based CME activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Answer questions and earn CME https://education.aanem.org/URL/JR141

ABSTRACT

Spastic gait presents clinically as the net mechanical consequence of neurological impairments of spasticity, weakness, and abnormal synergies and their interactions with the ground reaction force in patients with upper motor neuron syndromes and with some neuromuscular diseases. It is critical to differentiate whether the primary problem is weakness or spasticity, thus better understanding different phenotypes of spastic gait disorders. Pelvic girdle abnormality plays a pivotal role in determining the clinical presentation of gait disorders, since it determines the body vector and compensatory kinetic chain reactions in the knee and ankle joints. Knee joint abnormality can be a mechanical compensation for hip and/or ankle and foot abnormality. Diagnostic nerve blocks and instrumented gait analysis may be needed for diagnosing the underlying problems and developing an individualized plan of care. A wide spectrum of treatment options has been used to manage spastic gait disorders. Some are in early and investigational stages, such as neuromodulation modalities, while others are well-developed, such as therapeutic exercise, ankle-foot orthoses, botulinum toxin treatment, and surgical interventions. Physicians and other healthcare providers who manage spastic gait disorders should be familiar with these treatment options and should employ appropriate interventions concurrently rather than serially. The most effective treatments can be selected based on careful evaluation, inputs from patients, family, and therapists, along with appropriate goal setting. Treatment plans need to be re-evaluated for effectiveness, relevance, and in concordance with disease progress. This is particularly important for patients with progressive neuromuscular diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Data Availability Statement

Data are available upon reasonable request.

The full text of this article hosted at iucr.org is unavailable due to technical difficulties.

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