Lateral trunk lean toward the supporting leg
Draft — clinical review requiredIn single-limb stance the trunk leans over the stance limb, keeping the pelvis level.
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
- Trunk leans toward the stance limb during single-limb support.
Example mechanisms
- Reduced hip abductor capacity on the stance side.
- Hip pain — leaning reduces the abductor demand.
- An observed deviation describes movement; it does not identify a single diagnosis or a single weak muscle.
Possible compensation
- Trunk lean moves the body's centre of mass closer to the stance hip, reducing abductor demand and joint load.
What to examine next
- Hip abductor strength and endurance.
- Pain on loading.
- Hip range of motion.
Clinical reasoning sequence
- Observe → Explain possible causes → Examine → Choose an intervention → Reassess.
Connect — related deviations
Apply it
Why might a person lean over a painful stance hip?
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 lateral trunk lean toward the supporting leg 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.