Are repeated single-limb heel raises and manual muscle testing associated with peak plantar-flexor force in people with inclusion body myositis?
Publication/Presentation Date
4-1-2014
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Repeated heel raises have been proposed as a method of ankle plantar-flexor strength testing that circumvents the limitations of manual muscle testing (MMT).
OBJECTIVE: The study objective was to examine the relationships among ankle plantar-flexion isometric maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), repeated single-limb heel raises (SLHRs), and MMT in people with myositis.
DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study with a between-group design. The ability to complete 1 SLHR determined group assignment (SLHR group, n=24; no-SLHR group, n=19).
METHODS: Forty-three participants with myositis (13 women; median age=64.9 years) participated. Outcome measures included MVC, predicted MVC, Kendall MMT, and Daniels-Worthingham MMT.
RESULTS: The Kendall MMT was unable to detect significant ankle plantar-flexor weakness established by quantitative methods and was unable to discriminate between participants who could and those who could not perform the SLHR task. Ankle plantar-flexion MVC was not associated with the number of heel-raise repetitions in the SLHR group (pseudo R(2)=.13). No significant relationship was observed between MVC values and MMT grades in the SLHR and no-SLHR groups. However, a moderate relationship between MVC values and MMT grades was evident in a combined-group analysis (ρ=.50-.67).
LIMITATIONS: The lower half of both MMT grading scales was not represented in the study despite the profound weakness of the participants.
CONCLUSIONS: Both Kendall MMT and Daniels-Worthingham MMT had limited utility in the assessment of ankle plantar-flexor strength. Repeated SLHRs should not be used as a proxy measure of ankle plantar-flexion MVC in people with myositis.
Volume
94
Issue
4
First Page
543
Last Page
552
ISSN
1538-6724
Published In/Presented At
Harris-Love, M. O., Shrader, J. A., Davenport, T. E., Joe, G., Rakocevic, G., McElroy, B., & Dalakas, M. (2014). Are repeated single-limb heel raises and manual muscle testing associated with peak plantar-flexor force in people with inclusion body myositis?. Physical therapy, 94(4), 543–552. https://doi.org/10.2522/ptj.20130100
Disciplines
Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Health and Medical Administration | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
PubMedID
24309617
Department(s)
Administration and Leadership
Document Type
Article