Date of Award

2004

Document Type

Scholarly Project

Degree Name

Master of Physical Therapy (MPT)

Department

Physical Therapy

First Advisor

Mark Romanick

Keywords

Ankle joint -- physiology; Muscles -- physiology

Abstract

The triceps surae, composed of the soleus and the two heads of the gastrocnemius, is a very active muscle in all activities involving the lower extremities. This study compared the maximal force generated by these ankle plantarflexors in a knee extended and knee flexed position to determine relative contribution to plantarflexion force in varying positions. Eighteen male and female college students were tested for maximal concentric plantarflexor force generation isokinetically at 3D/sec in both positions. Means of maximal force in knee extension and flexion, 242.56 Ibs. and 227.22 Ibs., respectively, were found to be statistically significantly different. The mean of the ratio of plantarflexion force in knee flexed to knee extended positions was 93.68%. These findings suggest that the soleus muscle is a significant contributor to plantarflexion force generation in both knee extended and knee flexed postures.

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