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Hi All,
Re: Unilateral heel lift test either single or repetitive lift (non pre-fatigued)...some patients can perform it with knee extended, but some flex the knee to make it easier/possible.Interested for your thoughts on why this is. Thanks.

 

Depends somewhat on the timing of the knee flexion in relation to the heel lift. If you simultaneously plantar flex the ankle and flex the knee, it is possible to have both those motions without moving the pelvis upward. In that case, the hip acceleration is zero and there would be less force applied than if the pelvis did accelerate upward. (F = Ma).

That's one possible explanation

Eric

 

Thanks, Eric for this. Any more thoughts, anyone? Craig?

 

There is a body of literature developing using straight leg heel raise test versus straight leg heel raise test to clinically differentiate the strength of the gastrocnemius muscle from soleus. Look at letter to editor in Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy 41(12), 985, 2011.

Damien Howell PT, DPT, OCS

 

I'll park here the above links so as not to search for them again later

Analysis of Knee Flexion Angles During 2 Clinical Versions of the Heel Raise Test to Assess Soleus and Gastrocnemius Function

http://www.jospt.org/doi/abs/10.2519/jospt.2011.3489

Letters to the Editor-in-Chief of JOSPT:
?Differentiating the Soleus From the Gastrocnemius With the Heel Raise Test? and Author's Response

http://www.jospt.org/doi/full/10.2519/jospt.2011.0202