title: Normal ranges of popliteal angle in children.
abstract: Measurement of the popliteal angle is used to assess hamstring contracture in children with cerebral palsy. The popliteal angle in 482 normal children, 1-10 years of age, was measured. Using a 360 degrees goniometer, the popliteal angle was measured with the hip held at 90 degrees flexion to indicate hamstring muscle tightness. Between the ages of 1 and 3 years, the mean angle was 6 degrees (range, 0-15). At age 4, the angle rose to 17 degrees in girls and 27 degrees in boys (range, 5-45). At greater than or equal to 5 years the mean angle was 26 degrees with little change (range, 0-50). A popliteal angle of greater than 50 degrees in the above age groups indicates abnormal hamstring tightness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Beilinson Medical Center, Petah Tiqva, Israel.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosenthal
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yosipovitch
mesh_terms: D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003286:Contracture / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012016:Reference Values; D013977:Tibia / Q000502:physiology*