Function of the triceps surae during gait. Compensatory mechanisms for unilateral loss.

We studied the gait of a woman who was normal except for surgical excision of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. She was able to compensate for nearly all of her abnormalites of gait by excessive lateral pelvic tilt and prolonged quadriceps activity. Her mild disability, as regards gait, consisted of inability to increase walking speeds beyond the normal pacing. However, despite uneven step lengths, she had uniform forward progression. She had excessive dorsiflexion of the ankle and diminished plantar flexion on the involved side even though the retained plantar flexors could provide 38 per cent of her normal plantar flexor strength.