Lower Leg Girth and Ankle Plantar-Flexor Endurance after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
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Objective:
To determine the relationship between asymmetries in lower leg girth and standing heel-rise after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.
Design:
Single-group posttest.
Participants:
15 at a mean of 30 d after ACL reconstruction.
Measurements:
Lower leg girth and number of repetitions performed on the standing heel-rise test.
Results:
A significant decrease in lower leg girth and number of repetitions performed on the standing heel-rise test for the involved leg. There was also a low correlation between asymmetries in lower leg girth and standing heel-rise test (r = .25).
Conclusion:
Ankle plantar-flexor endurance should be considered when developing rehabilitation programs for the early stages after ACL reconstruction. In this study the ankle of the involved leg attained a significantly smaller angle of maximal standing plantar flexion, suggesting that ankle range of motion should also be assessed. Caution should be used in predicting standing heel-rise asymmetries from asymmetries in lower leg girth in ACL-reconstructed patients.
Ross is with the Dept of Physical Therapy, Cannon Air Force Base, NM. Hooten and Moore are with the Dept of Biology, United States Air Force Academy, Col.
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