Lower Leg Girth and Ankle Plantar-Flexor Endurance After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Objective: To determine the relationship between asymmetries in lower leg girth and standing heel-rise after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Design: Single-group posttest. Participants: 15 at a mean of 30 d after ACL reconstruction. Measurements: Lower leg girth and number of repetitions performed on the standing heel-rise test. Results: A significant decrease in lower leg girth and number of repetitions performed on the standing heel-rise test for the involved leg. There was also a low correlation between asymmetries in lower leg girth and standing heel-rise test (r = .25). Conclusion: Ankle plantar-flexor endurance should be considered when developing rehabilitation programs for the early stages after ACL reconstruction. In this study the ankle of the involved leg attained a significantly smaller angle of maximal standing plantar flexion, suggesting that ankle range of motion should also be assessed. Caution should be used in predicting standing heel-rise asymmetries from asymmetries in lower leg girth in ACL-reconstructed patients.