Strength Isometric Test: Ankle Toe Flexion

To test toe flexion isometric strength, follow these general steps:

1. Have the client adopt a supine position, lying down on a table with their shoes and socks off. Ask the client to slide down the table until their toes of the testing foot are hanging just over the edge of the table. 
2. To ensure the toes are truly isolated, the practitioner should use one of their hands to fix the client’s foot while performing this test. 
3. Set the press pad of the Muscle Meter underneath the client’s lateral four metatarsals, before queuing them to push said toes down as hard as they can.
4. Ensure the client sustains this effort for 2-3 seconds to achieve their maximal force production. Once performed, hit save in the Measurz app and compare to the other side.

References:

1. Hamel, Andrew J. PhD*,**; Donahue, Seth W. PhD‡; Sharkey, Neil A. PhD*,†,‡. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research (1976-2007): December 2001 - Volume 393 - Issue - pp 326-334 
2. Mari Endo and others, Effects of Age and Gender on Toe Flexor Muscle Strength, The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, Volume 57, Issue 6, 1 June 2002, Pages M392–M397, https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/57.6.M392
3. Myerson MS, Jung H-G. The Role of Toe Flexor-to-Extensor Transfer in Correcting Metatarsophalangeal Joint Instability of the Second Toe. Foot & Ankle International. 2005;26(9):675-679. doi:10.1177/107110070502600903