Effectiveness of Gastrocnemius Stretching

NCT05015088 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: COMIRB
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 20
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The aims of this study are to: (1) determine muscle activation of the tibialis posterior muscle during different common gastrocnemius stretches and (2) radiographically quantify the tibial-calcaneal angle during the common stretching positions. We hypothesize that stretching over the edge of a step with the arch supported will minimize the activation of the tibialis posterior muscle in addition to increasing the tibial-calcaneal angle.

Conditions

Gastrocnemius Tightness

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• EMG activation

  EMG activation of tibialis posterior muscle during 4 common gastrocnemius stretching positions

  up to 6 months

• Radiographic evaluation

  radiographically the angle of the tibia-calcaneus axis and calcaneal pitch between four different common gastrocnemius stretches

  up to 6 months

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Relationship between foot posture and radiographic evaluation of tibia-calcaneal angle

  up to 6 months

Study Arms (1)

Gastrocnemius Stretching Group

The study will enroll 20 healthy subjects between the ages of 18 to 65 years old. Individuals will be recruited from multiple locations. Exclusion criteria include: any boney or tendinous foot/ankle operative procedure, diagnosis of neuromuscular disorder, any previous ankle fracture or degenerative changes that would limit dorsiflexion range of motion. Participants must have no obvious gait asymmetries demonstrated through observation. In addition, participants who are pregnant will be excluded from participation in the study.

Other: No interventions will be performed in this study

Interventions

No interventions will be performed in this study OTHER

This study will not include any intervention

Gastrocnemius Stretching Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Healthy individuals

You may qualify if:

• 20 healthy subjects between the ages of 18 to 65 years old.

You may not qualify if:

• any boney or tendinous foot/ankle operative procedure
• diagnosis of neuromuscular disorder
• any previous ankle fracture or degenerative changes that would limit dorsiflexion range of motion
• no obvious gait asymmetries demonstrated through observation
• participants who are pregnant will be excluded from participation in the study

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Regis University: lead
• University of Colorado, Denver: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Regis University

Denver, Colorado, 80221, United States

Location

Related Publications (5)

• Mueller TJ. Acquired flatfoot secondary to tibialis posterior dysfunction: biomechanical aspects. J Foot Surg. 1991 Jan-Feb;30(1):2-11.

  PMID: 2002182 BACKGROUND

• Thordarson DB, Schmotzer H, Chon J, Peters J. Dynamic support of the human longitudinal arch. A biomechanical evaluation. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1995 Jul;(316):165-72.

  PMID: 7634700 BACKGROUND

• Huang CK, Kitaoka HB, An KN, Chao EY. Biomechanical evaluation of longitudinal arch stability. Foot Ankle. 1993 Jul-Aug;14(6):353-7. doi: 10.1177/107110079301400609.

  PMID: 8406252 BACKGROUND

• DiGiovanni CW, Kuo R, Tejwani N, Price R, Hansen ST Jr, Cziernecki J, Sangeorzan BJ. Isolated gastrocnemius tightness. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2002 Jun;84(6):962-70. doi: 10.2106/00004623-200206000-00010.

  PMID: 12063330 BACKGROUND

• Maeda N, Komiya M, Nishikawa Y, Morikawa M, Tsutsumi S, Tashiro T, Fukui K, Kimura H, Urabe Y. Effect of Acute Static Stretching on the Activation Patterns Using High-Density Surface Electromyography of the Gastrocnemius Muscle during Ramp-Up Task. Sensors (Basel). 2021 Jul 15;21(14):4841. doi: 10.3390/s21144841.

  PMID: 34300581 BACKGROUND

Study Officials

• Stephanie Albin, PhD

  Regis University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: OTHER
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 11, 2021
• First Posted: August 20, 2021
• Study Start: May 1, 2022
• Primary Completion: April 1, 2023
• Study Completion: April 15, 2023
• Last Updated: October 10, 2023

Record last verified: 2023-10

Locations

US (1)