Wisconsin Gait Scale (WGS)

use of hand held gait aid

no gait aid

1

minimal gait aid use

2

minimal gait aid use, wide base

3

marked use

4

marked use, wide base

5

stance time on impaired side

equal (time spent on affected side same as time spent on unaffected side during single leg stance)

1

unequal

2

very brief

3

step length of unaffected side

step through (heel of unaffected foot clearly advances beyond the toe of the affected foot)

1

foot does not clear

2

step to (unaffected foot placed behind or up to affected foot but not beyond)

3

weight shift to the affected side (with or without gait aid)

full shift (head and trunk shift laterally over the affected foot during the single stance)

1

decreased shift

2

very limited shift

3

stance width

normal (up to 1 shoe width between feet)

1

moderate (up to 2 shoe widths)

2

wide (more than 2 shoe widths)

3

guardedness

none (good forward movement with no hesitancy noted)

1

slight

2

marked hesitation

3

hip extension of affected side

equal extension (hips equally extend during push off; maintains erect posture during toe off)

1

slight flexion

2

marked extension

3

external rotation during initial swing

same as unimpaired leg

1

increased rotation

2

marked

3

circumduction at mid swing

none (affected foot adducts no more than unaffected foot during swing)

1

moderate

2

marked

3

hip hiking at mid swing

none (pelvis slightly dips during swing)

1

elevation

2

vaults

3

knee flexion from toe off to mid swing

normal (affected knee flexes equally to unaffected side)

1

some

2

minimal

3

none

4

toe clearance

normal (toe clears floor throughout swing)

1

slight drag

2

marked

3

pelvic rotation at terminal swing

forward (pelvis rotated forward to prepare for heel strike)

1

neutral

2

retracted

3

initial foot contact

heel strike (heel makes the initial contact with the floor)

1

foot flat

2

no contact of heel

3