Hip hiking
Draft — clinical review requiredThe pelvis on the swing side is elevated so the limb can clear the floor.
Locate — when it occurs
Our event terms, with functional phase names alongside.
- Heel strikeInitial contact
- Foot flatLoading response
- MidstanceMidstance
- Heel offTerminal stance
- Toe offPre-swing
- Feet adjacentInitial swing
- Tibia verticalMid swing
- Heel strike (next)Terminal swing
Go deeper
Open each part when you are ready.
Observe
- Swing-side iliac crest rises during swing; often with lateral trunk lean to the stance side.
Example mechanisms
- Limb that cannot shorten in swing (reduced knee flexion or dorsiflexion).
- Limb-length difference.
- An observed deviation describes movement; it does not identify a single diagnosis or a single weak muscle.
Possible compensation
- Shortens the effective height of the swing limb relative to the floor.
What to examine next
- Swing-phase knee and ankle motion.
- Quadratus lumborum and trunk control.
- Limb length.
Clinical reasoning sequence
- Observe → Explain possible causes → Examine → Choose an intervention → Reassess.
Connect — related deviations
Apply it
Hip hiking happens on which side?
Sources and review status
Draft — clinical review required
Starting points for verification. Validated protocols are linked where available; clinical content has not yet been reviewed.
Learning objectives
- Recognize hip hiking and when it occurs in the gait cycle.
- Separate the observed movement from a possible cause and from any compensation.
- Choose examination findings that would help distinguish between causes.