title: Gastrocnemius Contracture in Patients With and Without Foot Pathology.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several studies report performing a recession of the gastrocnemius tendon as surgical treatment of foot and ankle pain related to an isolated gastrocnemius contracture. Few report ankle range of motion using a validated measurement device or report a control group. All previous studies reporting measurements using a validated device have been small in number.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a previously validated device, 66 patients presenting with foot or ankle pain and 66 controls were measured for ankle range of motion and isolated gastrocnemius contractures. Clinical and goniometer measurement of ankle range of motion was also performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The foot and ankle pain group had a mean dorsiflexion of 11.6 degrees compared with a mean of 17.2 degrees in the control group (P < .0001). No patients in either group had less than 15 degrees of motion with the knee flexed. The difference in dorsiflexion was less using a goniometer than using the validated device, which may be due to measurement technique and external landmarks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with foot and ankle pain had less ankle dorsiflexion than the control group. This is the largest study to date using a validated measurement device as well as a control group and supports the findings of previous authors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Level II, prospective cohort study.
authors.affiliation: Borgess Orthopedics, Kalamazoo, MI, USA jrjast@gmail.com.|Homer Stryker, MD, School of Medicine, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, USA.
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Jastifer
authors.affiliation: Homer Stryker, MD, School of Medicine, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marston
mesh_terms: D000842:Ankle / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003286:Contracture / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005528:Foot; D006801:Humans; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: gastrocnemius recession; isolated gastrocnemius contracture