The Single Leg Heel Rise Test-A Helpful Tool for Dance Science?: A Systematic Review

Foot and ankle injuries are the most prevalent injuries in dance. The single leg heel-rise (SLHR) test is a simple tool to assess muscular endurance of the plantar flexors of the foot and is an increasingly popular manual muscle test in various areas of dance. Although the SLHR test has shown high reliability and validity in the medical field, no uniform description of this test exists in dance.

This systematic review aimed to identify parameters, outcome measures, purposes, and existing normative values of the SLHR test in the dance field.

Following the PRISMA guidelines, the electronic databases Scopus, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Cochrane were searched using a predefined search strategy up to June 2022. Studies were included if they reported screening, testing, or evaluation of either muscular endurance or strength of the calf muscle-tendon unit (MUT) in dancers using the SLHR test. The methodological quality of the studies was evaluated using a modified version of the Downs and Black Quality Index.

A total of 180 studies were identified. Twelve studies comprising a total of 427 dancers met the inclusion criteria. Key testing parameters of the SLHR test varied widely or were not reported. The average quality rating of the reviewed studies was 12.9 (range 8 to 17) out of a possible 20 points.

Although commonly used in test batteries, there are no standardized parameters of the SLHR test used in the dance field. Therefore, no generally applicable normative values could be established.

Key parameters such as the precise execution of the heel rises should be reported in testing protocols. For the SLHR test to be a useful tool in dance, further research on the influence of dance style, age, and injuries to the calf MTU on this test is needed.