Habitual toe-walking: evaluation and approach to treatment

Abstract

Habitual toe-walking has been presented as a prolongation of a normal stage of development that requires conservative treatment to prevent or ameliorate associated gait abnormalities such as tripping and falling. An approach to the evaluation of a child with toe-walking should include (1) medical history (prenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal), (2) gait evaluation, (3) musculoskeletal examination, and (4) neurologic examination. Pathologic entities producing toe-walking have been explored in order to differentiate those conditions from idiopathic (habitual) toe-walking. The most common etiologies of toe-walking (nonhabitual) would include gastrosoleus equinus, clubfoot, or cerebral palsy. Treatment of habitual toe-walkers might include shoe therapy, orthosis therapy, auditory feedback, and surgery.