Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Isolated gastrocnemius tightness.

Christopher W DiGiovanni1, Roderick Kuo, Nirmal Tejwani

  • 1Department of Orthopaedics, Harborview Medical Center and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, USA.

The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. American Volume
|June 14, 2002
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Tourniquet Use Does Not Affect Soft Tissue Outcomes Following Rotational Ankle Fracture Repair.

Foot & ankle specialist·2026
Same author

Glycoform engineering of a mammalian platform to sculpt a humanized recombinant bioscavenger.

Cell systems·2026
Same author

Relationship Between Ankle Plantar Flexion Angle and Tendon Gap in Achilles Tendon Rupture: A Prospective Study Using Portable Handheld Ultrasonography.

Cureus·2026
Same author

Comparison of portable ultrasound and arthroscopy for assessing sagittal fibular translation for assessment of syndesmotic instability.

Journal of ISAKOS : joint disorders & orthopaedic sports medicine·2026
Same author

Automated adjustment of energy-dependent window settings for virtual monoenergetic images in dual-energy CT.

Physica medica : PM : an international journal devoted to the applications of physics to medicine and biology : official journal of the Italian Association of Biomedical Physics (AIFB)·2026
Same author

Improving subtalar arthrodesis with a skin-matched patient-specific surgical guide: A comparative cadaveric study.

Acta orthopaedica et traumatologica turcica·2026
Same journal

Do Younger Patients Undergoing Transfibular Total Ankle Arthroplasty Achieve Outcomes Comparable with Those of Older Patients? Interpreting Nonsignificant Differences in Clinical Research: Commentary on an article by Kevin A. Schafer, MD, et al.: "Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes at a Mean of 7 Years Following Primary Transfibular Total Ankle Arthroplasty in Younger and Older Patients".

The Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume·2026
Same journal

Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes at a Mean of 7 Years Following Primary Transfibular Total Ankle Arthroplasty in Younger and Older Patients.

The Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume·2026
Same journal

Quantifying Protrusio Risk in the Metastatic Acetabulum: A Step Toward Precision: Commentary on an article by Will Jiang, BS, et al.: "Development of a Radiographic Scoring System to Estimate Acetabular Protrusion Risk in Patients with Osteolytic Periacetabular Metastases".

The Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume·2026
Same journal

Can We Find the Oracle of Fracture Union?: Commentary on an article by Luke A. Lopas, MD, et al.: "A Fracture Healing Odyssey: Kinematic Comparison of Unions and Nonunions in Human Lower-Extremity Long Bones Treated with Intramedullary Nailing. A Retrospective Cohort Study".

The Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume·2026
Same journal

Stacked-Cone Constructs for Extensive Tibial and/or Femoral Bone Loss in Complex Primary and Revision TKA: A Multicenter Analysis of 84 Cases.

The Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume·2026
Same journal

Shaping Modern Practice in South Korea: A Centennial Review of Orthopaedics at Severance Hospital and Yonsei University College of Medicine.

The Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume·2026
See all related articles

Isolated gastrocnemius contracture, a tight calf muscle, is linked to forefoot and midfoot pain in healthy individuals. Reduced ankle dorsiflexion with the knee extended is a key indicator, suggesting implications for foot problem treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Orthopedics
  • Biomechanics
  • Sports Medicine

Background:

  • Gastrocnemius-soleus complex contracture negatively impacts lower-limb function in neurologically impaired individuals.
  • Limited research exists on isolated gastrocnemius contracture and its effects in healthy populations.
  • Hypothesized that reduced ankle dorsiflexion due to equinus contracture causes forefoot/midfoot pain.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the existence of isolated gastrocnemius contracture in patients with forefoot and/or midfoot pain.
  • To compare ankle dorsiflexion in patients with foot pain versus a healthy control group.
  • To determine if knee position (extended vs. flexed) affects ankle dorsiflexion measurements.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective comparison of maximal ankle dorsiflexion in patient and control groups.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Patient group: 34 individuals with metatarsalgia or related forefoot/midfoot symptoms.
  • Control group: 34 asymptomatic individuals; measurements taken with knee extended and flexed using an electrogoniometer.

    • Main Results:

    • Patients with foot pain showed significantly less ankle dorsiflexion (4.5°) with the knee extended compared to controls (13.1°, p < 0.001).
    • This difference diminished when the knee was flexed (17.9° vs. 22.3°, p = 0.09), indicating gastrocnemius involvement.
    • Gastrocnemius contracture (dorsiflexion ≤ 5° with knee extended) was found in 65% of patients vs. 24% of controls.

    Conclusions:

    • Patients with forefoot/midfoot pain exhibit reduced ankle dorsiflexion with the knee extended, suggesting isolated gastrocnemius contracture.
    • The observed differences were not present when the gastrocnemius was relaxed (knee flexed).
    • Findings support gastrocnemius contracture as a factor in developing forefoot/midfoot pathology in healthy individuals, with implications for care.