ANKLE GONIOMETRY

Dorsiflexion

       Patient Instructions:

            Ask the patient to bend the ankle and point their toes up towards the ceiling.

Starting Position:

·        Patient is sitting with legs off the table.

·        The fulcrum is aligned with the lateral malleolus.

·        The stationary arm is in line with the midline of the lower leg; use the head of the fibula for reference.  The moving arm is parallel to the fifth metatarsal. 

·        Note:  Once again remember that the goniometer will be at 90 degrees and to adjust for that when recording the angles.

Ending Position:

·      Same as above

Normal ROM for dorsiflexion is between 0 and 10 degrees.  The patient has 3 degrees of dorsiflexion.

Plantarflexion

Patient Instructions:

            Ask the patient to point their foot down toward the ground.

Starting Position and Ending Position:

·      Patient is sitting with legs off table.

·      Goniometer alignment is the same as for dorsiflexion.

Normal ROM is 20 to 30 degrees, the patient is at 27 degrees.

Inversion at the Tarsal joints

Patient Instructions: 

            Have the patient turn their foot in.

Starting and Ending Position:

·        Patient sitting with legs off the table, or patient can be supine on the table with the foot resting on the table.

·        The fulcrum is positioned between the two malleoli.  The stationary arm with the midline of the tibia and the moving arm with the second metatarsal.

Normal ROM is 35 to 45 degrees; patient has 40 degrees of inversion.

Eversion at the Tarsal joints

Patient Instructions:

            Ask the patient to turn their foot out.

Starting and Ending Position:

·        Patient sitting with legs off the table, or patient can be supine on the table with the foot resting on the table.

·        The fulcrum is positioned between the two malleoli.  The stationary arm with the midline of the tibia and the moving arm with the second metatarsal.

Normal ROM is 15 to 25 degrees; patient is in 30 degrees of eversion.

Inversion at the Subtalar joint

Patient Instructions:

            Ask the patient to turn their foot in.

Starting and Ending Position:

·        The patient should be lying prone with foot hanging off the table.

·        The fulcrum is placed between the two malleoli.  The stationary arm is aligned with the midline of the leg and the moving arm with the midline of the calcaneus.

Normal ROM is 5 to 20 degrees, the patient is in 20 degrees of inversion.

Eversion at the Subtalar joint

Patient Instructions:

            Ask the patient to turn their foot out.

Starting and Ending Position:

·        The patient should be lying prone with foot hanging off the table.

·        The fulcrum is placed between the two malleoli.  The stationary arm is aligned with the midline of the leg and the moving arm with the midline of the calcaneus.

Normal ROM is 5 to 15 degrees, the patient is in 15 degrees of eversion.

Return to Homepage