Elsevier

The Foot

Volume 6, Issue 1, March 1996, Pages 19-24
The Foot

Original article
Is in-toeing gait a developmental stage?

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0958-2592(96)90055-3Get rights and content

Abstract

Very little literature has examined the symmetry of left and right foot progression angles. The lack of standardization between gait angle measurement techniques also make reliable comparison of different gait angle studies difficult. This study examined foot progression angles in random samples of children (aged 3, 6 and 9 years) and adults, to establish if in-toeing is a developmental stage in children. The incidence of in-toeing in this study indicates that an adducted gait is still fairly prevalent in 6- year-olds, but somewhere between the ages of 6 and 9 years in-toeing seems to resolve. It is likely that some degree of in-toeing can be considered as a developmental stage in young children under the age of 9. From age 9 onwards it reduces, showing less prevalence in older children and adults.

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