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WORKING WITH ANKLE MOBILITY, PART I Ankles bend, ankles straighten. Why is this important? Try walking without bending your ankles. If you've ever attempted to walk with ski boots on, you'll recognize the awkwardness and overall stiffness that comes with a loss of ankle motion. Ankles bend in two sagittal directions—plantarflexion (from Latin plantaris flectere or "sole bent"), and dorsiflexion (bent toward the dorsal or upper side of the foot). While plantarflexion gives a powerful push- off to each stride and adds spring to a jump, the complementary motion of dorsiflexion is at least as important. Squatting, kneeling, lunging, running, and landing from a jump all require dorsiflexion, as do many other crucial functions related to our ability to get around and function freely. Dorsiflexion, when lost, limits more than just ankle movement—it limits our overall mobility and adaptability. structural restrictions that can limit standing dorsiflexion.1 There are two main types of We'll refer to them as Type 1 and Type 2: Type 1. Dorsiflexion will be limited if the soft-tissue structures on the posterior side of the leg and foot resist lengthening. These structures include the gastrocnemius, soleus, superficial and deep fascias, the long toe flexors, and the plantar fascia. Type 2. Inelastic connective tissues joining the tibia and fibula (such as the extensor retinacula, interosseous membrane, and the tibiofibular ligaments) can prevent these two bones from normal widening around the wedge-shaped talus (more about this in Part 2). These two types of restrictions can occur together, but often one type will be the primary or most obvious restriction. In general, Type 2 is more common when there is very limited dorsiflexion (as in the person on the right of Image 3), though this is variable. Dorsiflexion angle. Image courtesy Advanced-Trainings.com. In the Dorsiflexion Test, look for the degree of dorsiflexion possible before the heels lift off the floor. Leaning forward at the hips (as the person on the right is doing), or lifting the arms forward for balance, are both signs of limited dorsiflexion. Image courtesy Advanced-Trainings.com. earn CE hours at your convenience: abmp's online education center, www.abmp.com 111