Which gait is typically present with loss of position sense and a positive Romberg test?

• A. Steppage gait
• B. Parkinsonian gait
• C. Cerebellar ataxia
• D. Sensory ataxia

Answer: (D)

Loss of position sense disrupts proprioceptive feedback from the legs, so movement becomes coordinated mainly by vision. This produces sensory ataxia, characterized by a wide-based, unsteady, and irregular gait with a tendency to veer. Because the body relies on vision to compensate for the loss of proprioception, closing the eyes worsens the instability, leading to a positive Romberg test. Other gait patterns arise from different problems (for example, foot drop causes a steppage gait; Parkinsonian gait from basal ganglia dysfunction; cerebellar ataxia from cerebellar disease), but the combination of proprioceptive loss and a positive Romberg specifically points to sensory ataxia.