Wide base and variable foot placement
Draft — clinical review requiredThe feet are placed further apart and step positions vary from step to step.
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
- Increased step width; irregular step length and direction; staggering.
Example mechanisms
- Cerebellar dysfunction.
- Sensory loss (proprioception).
- Vestibular impairment.
- Fear of falling.
- An observed deviation describes movement; it does not identify a single diagnosis or a single weak muscle.
Possible compensation
- A wider base enlarges the base of support.
What to examine next
- Coordination tests.
- Proprioception and vibration.
- Romberg-type balance testing.
- Vestibular screening.
Clinical reasoning sequence
- Observe → Explain possible causes → Examine → Choose an intervention → Reassess.
Connect — related deviations
Apply it
Worsening with eyes closed points mostly toward…
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 wide base and variable foot placement 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.