What is weakness in foot dorsiflexion?

Weakness of dorsiflexion of the foot is a common complication of proximal tibial osteotomy and it has been suggested that this may be caused by an anterior tibial compartment syndrome.

What can cause lack of dorsiflexion in the ankle joint?

Flexibility deficit: Dorsiflexion problems can occur when the muscles in the calf, known as the Gastroc/Soleus complex, are tight and cause restriction. Genetics: Poor dorsiflexion can be linked to a person’s genetics. Ankle injury: If a sprain has not healed properly, a person may limit their movement to avoid pain.

What nerve is responsible for ankle dorsiflexion?

Foot drop is caused by disruption to the common peroneal nerve which controls active dorsiflexion of the ankle leading to a lack of heel strike during gait hence the term foot drop. Image to R shows common brace (AFO) for foot drop.

What causes dorsiflexion loss?

For example, injury to the peroneal nerve, or compression of this nerve, may lead to a loss of dorsiflexion. Disorders affecting the muscles or nerves of the foot (such as muscular dystrophy or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) may also lead to drop foot.

How to know if you have ankle dorsiflexion?

Individuals that have mobility issues at the ankle may demonstrate an “early heel rise” while walking. Since the ankle has limited dorsiflexion, the proper sequencing of our gait is off. These people tend to walk with a “bouncy” gait.

How to strengthen plantar flexors and dorsiflexors in ankle?

The plantarflexors function to extend the ankle, while the dorsiflexors flex the ankle. You can strengthen these muscles by doing a variety of plantarflexion and dorsiflexion exercises using dumbbells, machines and other types of training equipment.

What’s the normal range of motion for dorsiflexion?

Anything over 12.5 cm is considered normal functioning dorsiflexion. Some people believe that the best way to test the range of motion of ankle dorsiflexion is when the foot and ankle are weight bearing. Depending on the cause of limited ankle dorsiflexion, there are different exercises to help improve it.

What happens if you have a weak ankle?

Someone with weak ankles may favor the lateral portion of their feet, which exhausts the legs and feet by the end of the day. Often times, weak ankles are worsened by rolling an ankle, which can cause swelling and more severe pain. We provide numerous weak ankle exercises as well.