Foot Posture, Strength, Performance, and Postural Control in Isolated Gastrocnemius Tightness

Launched by BEZMIALEM VAKIF UNIVERSITY · Apr 9, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

Since the gastrocnemius muscle spans both joints, the kinematics of the ankle joint are influenced by knee flexion. According to Kendall \& McCreary's assessment of normal joint motion angles, when the knee joint is in extension, the passive dorsiflexion angle of the ankle is approximately 20°, and with knee flexion, the angle can approach 30° due to the relaxation of the gastrocnemius. During the midstance phase of walking, the ankle joint allows for 8-10° of dorsiflexion movement. The evaluation of gastrocnemius muscle tightness is conducted using the Silfverskiold method. However, there ...

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Study group
• • Presence of bilateral isolated gastrocnemius tightness (The test is considered positive when ankle dorsal flexion dorsiflexion increases over a minimum of 10 degrees with the knee flexed than the knee extension.
• • Being between 7-16 years of age
• • Body mass index within normal limits (18.5-24.9 kg/m2) Exclusion criteria
• • Presence of high femoral anteversion, internal tibial torsion, and metatarsus adductus
• • Presence of hypermobility (Beighton score \>4 and above)
• • Leg length discrepancy
• • Presence of any neurological, rheumatic, musculoskeletal, metabolic, and connective tissue disease
• • History of pain, deformity, or surgery associated with the vertebral column and lower extremities
• • Presence of cognitive, mental, and/or severe psychiatric illness
• • Participation in any exercise program or sportive activity in the last six months
• • For the control group, the same inclusion/exclusion criteria will be accepted except that the bilateral Silfverskiold test is negative.