Back foot influence on dorsiflexion using three different positions of the weight bearing lunge test

Key Points

1. The position of the back foot during a weight bearing lunge test appears to significantly influence the dorsiflexion range of motion measured at the front ankle, regardless of the measurement technique used.

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BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE

A significant proportion of daily tasks (and sporting movements) rely upon ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (DF ROM). Restriction of ankle DF ROM has been suggested to result in various compensations (1) and has also been linked to increased injury risk (2,3). The weight bearing lunge test (WBLT) has been shown to be a functional and reliable method of assessing ankle DF ROM (4). This was first described using a tandem stance (5) but with no standardization of the back foot position reported, and to date there has been no research looking at the potential influence of this upon the test measurement. This study aimed to fill this literature gap.

The weight bearing lunge test has been shown to be a functional and reliable method of assessing ankle DF ROM.

This study shows how important it is to be consistent with the variant of the weight bearing lunge test used.

METHODS

52 healthy participants (mean age: 27.8yrs) who participated in cutting and pivoting sports were recruited. Key exclusion criteria were a history of lower extremity injury in the last 6 months, or any history of lower extremity surgery. Ankle DF ROM

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