Execution:
- Patient is in a lunge position with the leg to be tested in front and at a hand-width away from the wall
- The patient is asked to drive the knee forward in order to touch the wall without the heel coming off the ground
- The examiner can use a tape measure to assess the distance (between the patient’s big toes and the wall) at which the patient is able to touch the wall with the knee
Positive Outcome: Limited dorsiflexion is indicated if the patient is not able to touch the wall with the knee without the heel coming off the ground when the toes are 5 and ½ inches or 12cm away from the wall. An anterior pinching sensation indicates limitation in the talocrural joint, a posterior stretch indicates shortening of the soleus
| Study |
Reliability |
Sn | Sp | LR+ |
LR- |
| Powden et al. (2015) |
Intra ICC= 0.65-0.99 |
NA | NA | NA |
NA |
| Comment: Responsiveness is reasonable with a Minimal Detectable Change (MDC) for inter-clinician was 4.7° or 1.9cm and 4.6° or 1.6cm for inter-clinican. | |||||
