Effect of subtalar joint position on the measurement of maximum ankle dorsiflexic

Measurements of maximum ankle dorsiflexion (MAD) are frequently performed in clinical practice, yet no single technique has gained universal acceptance. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a significant difference exists in passive MAD measurement with the subtalar joint in a neutral vs a pronated position. The 18 healthy females who participated in this study had their left ankles passively dorsiflexed with maximum force twice under the two conditions (neutral or pronated). The measurements were obtained from projections of 35 mm slides taken of each trial. A comparison of the mean MAD measurements for trials and condition was performed using a two-way repeated measures analysis of variance. There was no significant difference in the two trials in the neutral position or the two trials in the pronated position. There was, however, a significant difference between the neutral position and the pronated position.