Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2000 Oct;80(10):1004-11.

Balance and ankle range of motion in community-dwelling women aged 64 to 87 years: a correlational study

C Mecagni  1 , J P Smith, K E Roberts, S B O'Sullivan
Affiliations
  • PMID: 11002436

Balance and ankle range of motion in community-dwelling women aged 64 to 87 years: a correlational study

C Mecagni et al. Phys Ther. 2000 Oct.

Abstract

Background and purpose: This study investigated the relationship between balance measures and ankle range of motion (ROM) in community-dwelling elderly women with no health problems. Identification of modifiable factors associated with balance may enable clinicians to design treatments to help reduce the risk of falls in elderly people.

Subjects: The sample consisted of 34 women between the ages of 64 and 87 years (mean=74.7, SD=6.0).

Methods: Goniometry was used to determine bilateral ankle active-assistive range of motion (AAROM) and passive range of motion. Balance capabilities were measured with the Functional Reach Test (FRT) and the Tinetti Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA). Balance data for the FRT, POMA balance subtest, POMA gait subtest, and POMA total score were correlated with ankle ROM using the Pearson product moment correlation coefficient (PCC).

Results: Correlations between ROM and balance scores were found, ranging from.29 to.63. The POMA gait subtest and FRT resulted in higher correlations with ROM than did the POMA balance subtest (left total AAROM PCC=.63,.51, and.31). Correlations using composite ankle ROM scores were higher than individual motions. The strongest correlation existed between bilateral, total ankle AAROM and the POMA gait subtest scores (PCC=. 63)

Conclusion and discussion: Correlations exist between ankle ROM and balance in community-dwelling elderly women. Additional research is needed to determine whether treatment directed at increasing ankle ROM can improve balance.

PubMed Disclaimer