Athletic Training & Sports Medicine Center

Range of Motion for the Ankle Joint

Motion	Examiner Position	Model Position	Examiner Instruction	Hand Placement	Muscles Involved	Possible Substitutions	Things to Note
Dorsiflexion	Sitting / knealing in front of patient on test side	Short sitting	Passive ROM Have patient relax Active ROM Have patient perform motion after you demonstrate it Resistive ROM Have patient perform active dorsiflexion while applying resistance through full range of motion OR instructs patient to maintain knee extension while you apply overpressure into plantar flexi	Stabilize the distal lower leg over the anterior shin placing other hand over dorsum of the foot distal to the ankle	tibialis anterior	extensor digitorum longus and the extensor hallucis longus--watch for toe extension
Plantarflexion	Sitting/ Kneeling in front of patient on test side	model sitting with knees flexed	Passive ROM Have patient relax Active ROM Have patient perform motion after you demonstrate it Resistive ROM Have patient perform active plantarflexion while applying resistance through full range of motion OR instructs patient to maintain knee extension while you apply overpressure into dorsiflexion	Stabilize the distal lower leg over the anterior shin, placing the other hand over the distal plantar aspect of the foot	Medial and lateral head of the gastrocnemius Soleus	flexor hallicus longus and flexor digitorum longus--watch for toe flexion peroneus longus and peroneus brevis--watch for foot eversion tibialis posterior--watch for foot inversion
Inversion	Sitting/ Kneeling in front of the patient on the test side	model sitting with knee flexed	Passive ROM Have patient relax Active ROM Have patient perform motion after you demonstrate it Resistive ROM Have patient perform active knee flexion while applying resistance through full range of motion OR instructs patient to maintain knee extension while you apply overpressure into eversion	stabilize over distal shin placing other hand on the distal medial aspect of the foot	tibialis posterior	flexor digitorum longus flexor hallucis longus gastrocnemius
Eversion	Sitting/ Kneeling in front of patient on test side	model sitting with knee flexed	Passive ROM Have patient relax Active ROM Have patient perform motion after you demonstrate it Resistive ROM Have patient perform active eversion while applying resistance through full range of motion OR instructs patient to maintain knee extension while you apply overpressure into inversion	stabilize over distal shin placing the other hand on the distal aspect of the foot	peroneus longus peroneus brevis	extensor digitorum longus peroneus tertius