Foot/Ankle Flashcards
Insertional Achilles tendinopthy
- Within the 2cm proximal to insertion
- May also include bursitis, bony spurs, Haglund’s deformity
- Poorer prognosis than noninsertional
- Patients are frequently less active, overweight
- Avoid DF beyond neutral during eccentric training
- May be caused by impingement on Haglund’s deformity
Stages of posterior tibialis tendon dysfunction
I: Pain with palpation, painful ability to complete bilateral heel raises with no foot deformity
II: Weakness, tendon pathology, and flexible flat foot deformity
III: Fixed foot deformity
IV: Onset of arthritic changes > contact between calcaneus and lateral malleolus with severe hindfoot valgus. May have lateral ankle pain.
Sever’s disease
6-8 yo, taller, overweight
Associated with starting higher impact sports
Resolves in 2 weeks to 2 months
Bone grows faster than soft tissue > Greater stress at epiphysis.
Radiographs not helpful for diagnosis. One leg heel standing test is 100% Sn, squeeze test 97% Sn
Location of pain for medial tibial stress syndrome
Along posteromedial border of tibial. Must be diffuse, spread over at least 5cm
What percentage of plantar flexion strength comes from non-triceps surae plantar flexors (i.e. fibularis longus/brevis, FDL, FHL, posterior tibialis)
<20%
What muscle supports the transverse arch?
Fibularis longus. Attaches at base of first met/ medial cuneiform.
Also plantar flexes the ankle.
Muscles of the deep posterior compartment
FHL, FDL, tibialis posterior
Tibialis posterior is the strongest. FHL and FDL can’t substitute for tib. post.
Which muscles raise the medial longitudinal arch?
Deep posterior compartment muscles + foot intrinsics
What condition have toe flexors been found to be weak in?
Plantar fasciitis
Tibialis anterior insertion
Plantar surface of medial cuneiform and first metatarsal
Has 1/5 moment arm of tibialis posterior for supination
Can dorsiflex talonavicular joint (lowering the arch) if unopposed.
Function of intrinsic foot muscles
Arch support and propulsion.
Role in rehab is debated.
Average subtalar joint axis (oblique)
42 deg superior, 16 deg medial.
This is the axis about which supination/pronation occur.
Motion of each bone during supination
Calcaneus: Inversion
Talus: Abduction and dorsiflexion
Movement in talonavicular vs. calcaneocuboid joint
More in talonavicular.
Spring ligament
calcaneonavicular ligament.
Prevents excessive DF of navicular on talar head (supports medial longitudinal arch)
Midfoot locking theories
Pronation: Axes of calcaneocuboid and talonavicular joints are parallel
Supination: Axes are not parallel
Some data suggests midfoot rigidity is more dependnet on muscle support than axis alignment. Muscles are very active during gait. Overall the degree of muscular vs. passive support of medial longitudinal arch is not clear.
How does Achilles tendon force affect the medial longitudinal arch?
Lowers it
Tibial rotation in relation to arch height
External rotation raises arch.
Tibial rotation is likely controlled by proximal motor control patterns at hip/knee. Attempting to control tibial movement with foot orthoses may increase stress at the knee. Proximal muscle control may play an important role in flat foot posture.
Muscles primarily responsible for propulsion and support during gait
Plantar flexors.
Active from midstance until just prior to toe off
When do supination/pronation happen during gait?
Pronation from IC to foot flat (10-15% of stance)
Supination rapidly during terminal stance (after 50% of stance), peaking at 90% of stance.
Role of plantar flexors (triceps surae) in deforming medial longitudinal arch
Plantar flex the calcaneus. If this is unopposed this would > arch lowering during heel raise/ toe off.
There is conflicting data supporting passive vs. active support of the arch to counteract the plantar flexor deforming force.
Rehab considerations re: function of toe flexors
- Functional ROM is required >40 deg?
- High loads are transferred to the hallux in gait (20-50%?)
- Muscles function isometrically
Anatomy of flat foot posture
Plantar flexion of talus> overload to spring ligament.
Calcaneus and cuboid drift laterally > Hindfoot eversion posture.
Forefoot dorsiflexes and abducts
Results in midfoot instability. No rigid lever to transfer forces from Achilles tendon to the floor for push off.
Ligaments not affected by flat foot posture
Plantar fascia
Long/short plantar
Correlation between static and dynamic foot postures
Static posture may predict postures obtained during movement.
Pes cavus
Less common that pes planus, less well understood.
Common cause is neuromuscular problems in childhood and elderly.
High association with pain.
Conservative treatment typically focuses on using accommodating/ cushioning footwear.
Peek a boo sign
Clinician observes medial heel when looking at patient from the front. Indicates pes cavus.
Coleman Block test
Determines if the forefoot or hindfoot is influencing the arch.
Observe position of calcaneus in standing on flat surface and then standing with lateral calcaneus and mets on a one inch step
If calcaneal position changes from varus to normal with the block, deformity is flexibile. Orthotic should focus on forefoot. If no change, deformity is fixed. Orthotic should correct both forefoot and rearfoot.
Orthotics for pes cavus foot
Custom made are better than sham.
Goal: Shock absorption/ even distribution of pressure under the foot.
Are claw and hammer toes more common in pes planus or pes cavus?
Pes cavus
Which ankle condition is associated with decreased quality of life similar to end stage kidney disease, CHF, and cervical radiculopathy?
Ankle OA.
Outcome Measures for foot/ankle
PROMIS
VISA-A for Achilles tendinopathy
FAAM (Foot and Ankle Ability Measure)
LEFS
Have studies shown that rehab can affect foot posture?
No.
Studies do show a relationship between foot posture and injury patterns.
Arch Heigh Index
Dorsum height/ truncated foot length
1SD above mean = supinated posture. 1SD below mean = pronated posture.
Normal for arch heigh to decrease about 1 cm when going from NWB to 50% WB in standing.
Navicular drop test
In standing, patient’s foot is placed in subtalar neutral position. Measure height from floor to navicular. Then have patient relax their foot posture and measure again.
>10 mm difference is abnormal/ positive
Conflicting evidence re: association between navicular drop test and injury.
Heel raise standards
25 reps (+/- 13) Heel should get 10-12 cm from floor
Patients lacking subtalar inversion during heel raise assumed to have significant posterior tibialis weakness.
Reliability of ankle ROM measurement
Good for DF
Not so good for PF
Normal ankle DF PROM in supine
18 deg
Definition of hallux limitis
Passive hallux DF <40 deg
Position of talocrural joint during talar tilt test to bias different ligaments
PF: ATFL
DF: CFL
(test might not be sensitive enough to distinguish between ATFL and CFL injuries)
Position of talocrural joint for anterior drawer test
10-20 deg plantarflexion
Metrics of DF-ER test for high ankle sprain
Good sensitivity (71%) Moderate specificity (63%)
Metrics of squeeze test for high ankle sprain
Poor sensitivity (26%) High specificity (88%)
(Squeeze just above midpoint of calf)
Metrics of syndesmosis ligament palpation for high ankle sprain
High sensitivity (92%) Poor specificity (29%)
Metrics of Thompson test
High sensitivity (96%) High specificity (93%)
Metrics of Achilles palpation for tendinopathy
Moderate sensitivity (64%) High specificity (81%)
Royal London Hospital test
\+: Decreased pain with palpation of Achilles when ankle is actively dorsiflexed. Moderate sensitiivty (54%) High specificity (86%) Good reliability
Arc sign
\+: Swollen region of Achilles moves along with tendon during active ankle DF/PF Moderate sensitivity (42%) High specificity (88%)
Metrics for Windlass test
Low sensitivity (33%) High specificity (99%)
Normal alignment of midtarsal joint on lateral XRay
S shaped.
Angles used to measure foot posture on XRay
Calcaneal pitch angle
1st met pitch angle
Bohler’s angle (<20 deg indicates calcaneal fx)
Fowler-Phillip and Chauveaux-Liet (indicate calcaneal impingement on Achilles)
Ultrasound to identify tendinopathy vs. inflammation
Dark (hypoechoic) regions within tendon indicate abnormal tendon structure
Fluid (dark) around the tendon indicates peritendinitis/ bursitis
Collagen appears bright (hyperechoic)
Normal foot posture throughout lifespan
Infants born with flat foot, develop normal footprint around age 12-13.
Wearing shoes during development of the foot may be associated with development of flexible flat foot deformity
Adult acquired flat foot deformity
Defined as unilateral deformity.
Most common cause is TPTD
Hallux valgus
Subluxation of first MTP, deviation >15 deg
Present in 23% of adults, 36% > 65 yo
>60% of patients have a family history
2-3x more common in females
Likely contributes to increased fall risk
Deformity will progress unless fixed surgically.
Mixed results following surgery. Evidence supports PT after surgery.