The effects of limited ankle dorsiflexion range of motion on knee and ankle kinematics

Ankle dorsiflexion (DF) range of motion (ROM) may influence movement variables that are known to impact ACL loading, such as knee valgus and knee flexion. Research has not identified individuals with limited and normal DF to investigate the relationship between DF assessments and movement patterns. DF ROM (knee straight, knee bent), weight bearing lunge technique (WBLT), and anterior/posterior (A/P) talar glide were assessed. Participants were grouped into limited and normal groups based on knee straight DF ROM. Knee and ankle kinematics were assessed during three dynamic movements (OHS, SLS, JL). Three separate ANOVA's for task and Pearson correlations between ROM and ankle kinematics were performed. There were no kinematic differences between the limited and normal groups during any of the tasks. The WBLT strongly correlated with ankle DF displacement during the OHS and SLS. Therefore, the WBLT may be more representative of the amount of DF range of motion during movement