What is a dysfunctional gait?

Answer 1

Inman's Hypothesis:

"The human body, if not influenced markedly by internal or external factors, will integrate the motion of the various segments of the body and control the activity of the muscles so the energy required for each step is minimal"

So we consider a functional gait to be a walking pattern in which no extra energy is expended. Dysfunctional gaits, then, are the antithesis of this.

The causes of a dysfunctional gate are myriad, and well beyond the scope of this response. Some factors include trauma, musculoskeletal pathology, CNS disorders, and Arthritis, among many others.