Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 25, 2026
Diagnosis of Musculus Gastrocnemius Tightness - Key Factors for the Clinical Examination
Published on: July 7, 2016
Clinical tests of ankle plantarflexor strength do not predict ankle power generation during walking
Michelle Kahn1, Gavin Williams
1From the Epworth Hospital, Melbourne, Australia (MK, GW); The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia (GW); and La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia (GW).
Objective:
The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between a clinical test of ankle plantarflexor strength and ankle power generation (APG) at push-off during walking.
Design:
This is a prospective cross-sectional study of 102 patients with traumatic brain injury.
Outcome Measures:
Handheld dynamometry was used to measure ankle plantarflexor strength. Three-dimensional gait analysis was performed to quantify ankle power generation at push-off during walking.
Results:
Ankle plantarflexor strength was only moderately correlated with ankle power generation at push-off (r = 0.43, P < 0.001; 95% confidence interval, 0.26-0.58). There was also a moderate correlation between ankle plantarflexor strength and self-selected walking velocity (r = 0.32, P = 0.002; 95% confidence interval, 0.13-0.48).
Conclusions:
Handheld dynamometry measures of ankle plantarflexor strength are only moderately correlated with ankle power generation during walking. This clinical test of ankle plantarflexor strength is a poor predictor of calf muscle function during gait in people with traumatic brain injury.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Muscles of the Leg that Move the Foot and Toes
Anterior Compartment
The anterior compartment includes muscles that contribute to the dorsiflexion of the foot. This compartment houses the tibialis anterior, extensor hallucis longus, and extensor digitorum longus muscles....
01:10Ankle Joint