Which value best represents the normal ankle dorsiflexion range?

Which value best represents the normal ankle dorsiflexion range?

• A. 0-15°
• B. 0-20°
• C. 0-25°
• D. 0-30°

Answer: (B)

Normal ankle dorsiflexion is about how far the foot can move toward the shin. When the knee is straight, the limiting factor is the gastrocnemius muscle crossing the knee, so the typical end range is roughly twenty degrees. If the knee is bent, the gastrocnemius relaxes and allows more dorsiflexion, often up to around thirty degrees in many people. Clinically, the standard normal value cited for dorsiflexion with the knee extended is about twenty degrees, which is why this range best matches normal for this position. Values that are much smaller (e.g., tighter end feel) or larger (often seen with knee flexion or greater laxity) don’t reflect the normal range when the knee is straight.

Normal ankle dorsiflexion is about how far the foot can move toward the shin. When the knee is straight, the limiting factor is the gastrocnemius muscle crossing the knee, so the typical end range is roughly twenty degrees. If the knee is bent, the gastrocnemius relaxes and allows more dorsiflexion, often up to around thirty degrees in many people. Clinically, the standard normal value cited for dorsiflexion with the knee extended is about twenty degrees, which is why this range best matches normal for this position. Values that are much smaller (e.g., tighter end feel) or larger (often seen with knee flexion or greater laxity) don’t reflect the normal range when the knee is straight.