National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) Practice Exam

Following a hip fracture that is now healed, a patient presents with weak hip flexors with a muscle grade of poor (2/5). What gait deviation is the patient most likely to present with?

1. Circumducted gait

2. Excessive hip flexion

3. Forward trunk lean

4. Backward trunk lean

The correct answer is: Circumducted gait

A patient with weak hip flexors, exhibiting a muscle grade of poor (2/5), would likely compensate for this weakness during gait by adopting a circumducted gait pattern. In individuals with weak hip flexors, lifting the leg forward becomes challenging, leading them to swing the leg outward in a circular motion to advance it forward. This compensatory movement helps avoid the need to actively flex the hip, which they cannot do effectively due to weakness. When looking at the other potential gait deviations, excessive hip flexion would indicate an effort to flex the hip more than necessary, which is unlikely if the hip flexors are weak. A forward trunk lean might occur to shift the center of gravity, but it would not be as characteristic or necessary in this scenario. Similarly, a backward trunk lean does not align with the expected compensation for weak hip flexors and may instead be associated with other conditions affecting balance or lower extremity stability. Thus, circumducted gait emerges as the most fitting gait deviation for a patient with poor hip flexor strength, as it effectively addresses the functional limitation presented.