What is a common gait issue seen in patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy?

In patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a waddling gait is commonly observed. This gait pattern arises primarily due to muscular weakness, particularly in the proximal muscles of the lower limbs, such as the hip and thigh muscles. As these muscles weaken, patients often experience difficulty stabilizing their pelvis while walking. Consequently, they adapt their gait to compensate for this weakness, resulting in a side-to-side rocking motion of the pelvis, characteristic of a waddling gait.

Other gait patterns, such as heel striking, shuffling steps, and tip-toe walking, are not as prominent in DMD. Heel striking typically refers to a more stable and deliberate walking pattern, which may not be feasible for individuals with progressive muscle weakness. Shuffling steps are often associated with conditions like Parkinson's disease, where there is a decrease in arm swing and shuffling occurs as a way to maintain balance. Tip-toe walking might be seen in various conditions, including spasticity or tightness in muscles, but it is not a prominent feature of DMD. Thus, the waddling gait is a defining characteristic in DMD due to the specific muscle group weaknesses involved.