Anatomy & Physiology 1
Unit 4 Case Study

Case of the Toewalker

 Parents of a 3-year-old boy noticed that their son was walking "on his toes," had a waddling gait, fell frequently and had difficulty getting up again, and was not able to run because of the difficulty in raising his knees. At age five, there was progressive muscular weakness and muscle wasting. Weakness of the trunk muscles led to increased lordosis and a protuberant abdomen. At age nine, he was confined to a wheelchair. Contractures appeared, first in the feet, as the gastrocnemius muscles tightened.

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QUESTIONS
 Answer the following questions about this case. You can list your sources with each question or you can indicate your sources in the space provided at the end of the questions. Remember to review the criteria used for grading the case studies as given on the CASE STUDIES INDEX page. Including too much in your responses is better than not enough.

**You will need to supply a minimum of 4-5 sentences supporting each of your answers.
 

1. This hereditary X-linked recessive disease characterized by progressive muscular weakness is .
 

2. What does dystrophy mean? Why is this term used to describe this case?

3. What muscles would be involved in walking "on the toes"? Which muscles are "weakening"?

4. Name the trunk muscles that weaken in certain cases of lordosis and abdominal protuberance.

List Your Sources

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