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What is normal ROM for ankle

Author

Jessica Hardy

Published Feb 24, 2026

A normal ankle moves from approximately 20° dorsiflexion, to 50° plantar flexion.

What is the normal range of motion of the ankle?

Motion of the ankle occurs primarily in the sagittal plane, with plantar- and dorsiflexion occurring predominantly at the tibiotalar joint. Several studies have indicated an overall ROM in the sagittal plane of between 65 and 75°, moving from 10 to 20° of dorsiflexion through to 40–55° of plantarflexion.

What is considered normal range of motion?

Normal range of motion, using the anatomical position as zero degrees. Flexion = 0 to 140 degrees. Extension – zero degrees = full extension. Show loss of extension by describing the degrees in which extension is not possible.

What is the normal expected ROM for ankle dorsiflexion?

The normal range for ankle joint dorsiflexion was established as 0 degrees to 16.5 degrees nonweightbearing and 7.1 degrees to 34.7 degrees weightbearing.

What are the 3 types of range of motion?

The 3 types of ROM exercises include passive, active, and active assistive ROM.

What is the normal range of motion for hip extension?

Normal hip ROM is as follows: Abduction: 0 to 45 degrees. Adduction: 45 to 0 degrees. Extension: 115 to 0 degrees.

What is the normal range of knee extension?

On average, most individuals have around 0 degrees of knee extension (a fully straightened knee) and 135 degrees of knee flexion. This can vary based on how tall you are and how big your muscles surrounding your knee are.

How do you measure a ROM?

A joint’s ROM is usually measured by the number of degrees from the starting position of a segment to its position at the end of its full range of the movement. The most common way this is done is by using a double-armed goniometer.

What is dorsiflexion and plantar flexion?

The term plantar flexion refers to the movement of the foot in a downward motion away from the body. … It also enables the opposite movement, dorsiflexion, which is the movement of the foot toward the leg. Your ankle joint supplies the power for 40% to 70% of your forward movement during walking.

What is normal dorsiflexion?

Anything over 12.5 cm is considered normal functioning dorsiflexion. Some people believe that the best way to test the range of motion of ankle dorsiflexion is when the foot and ankle are weight bearing. Depending on the cause of limited ankle dorsiflexion, there are different exercises to help improve it.

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How do you assess ankle dorsiflexion?

Lift your foot up and move it around. As you can see and feel, it can move in several different directions. If you point your toes like a ballerina, that is called ankle plantarflexion. If you pull your toes and foot towards your knee, that is ankle dorsiflexion.

What are the 5 ranges of motion of the ankle?

In total, the ankle allows the foot to move in six different ways: dorsiflexion, plantarflexion, inversion, eversion, and medial and lateral rotation. Flexion and extension at the ankle are referred to as dorsiflexion and plantarflexion, respectively (Figure 2).

What is normal wrist ROM?

Results: Normal values for wrist ROM are 73 degrees of flexion, 71 degrees of extension, 19 degrees of radial deviation, 33 degrees of ulnar deviation, 140 degrees of supination, and 60 degrees of pronation.

What is ROM in orthopedics?

Erin Pereira, PT, DPT, is a board-certified clinical specialist in orthopedic physical therapy. Range of motion (ROM) is the measurement of the amount of movement around a specific joint or body part. It is commonly measured during a physical therapy evaluation or during a course of treatment.

What are 5 examples of range of motion exercises?

  • Hip and knee bends: Point your toes. …
  • Leg lifts: Raise your leg so that your foot is 6 to 12 inches (15 to 31 centimeters) off the bed. …
  • Leg movement, side to side: Flex your foot so your toes point up toward the ceiling. …
  • Leg rotation, in and out: Put your leg flat on the bed.

When should ROM exercises not be performed?

Range of motion exercises put stress on the soft tissues of the joint and on the bony structures. These exercises should not be performed if the joints are swollen or inflamed or if there has been injury to the musculoskeletal system in the vicinity of the joint.

What is knee ROM?

Range of motion refers to the full movement of your joint (in this case knee). Your knee ROM will include: flexion (bending), extension (straightening), adduction (movement towards middle of the body), abduction (movement away from middle of the body), and rotations (inward and outward) must be worked towards.

What is normal elbow flexion range of motion?

Range of Movements Normal elbow flexion is 150° to 160°. Full flexion places the proximal forearm against the distal biceps. Elbow extension returns the joint to the outstretched anatomic (neutral) position (0°).

What limits plantar flexion?

An injury to any one of the muscles supporting the act of plantar flexion will limit the range of motion of the foot. Ankle injuries are one of the most common ways to severely limit plantar flexion.

What is ankle plantar flexion?

Plantar flexion is a movement in which the top of your foot points away from your leg. You use plantar flexion whenever you stand on the tip of your toes or point your toes. Every person’s natural range of movement in this position is different.

What cause plantar flexion at the ankle?

The action of soleus, gastrocnemius, and plantaris is to produce plantar flexion at the ankle joint.

What is the ROM test?

A ROM assessment is most commonly used to measure movement of the ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, elbows, wrists and fingers. Measures are taken on consecutive occasions to assess any change over time. They are used to determine whether an individual’s ROM is within the expected range.

How do you find the range of motion?

To measure range of motion, physical therapists most commonly use a goniometer, which is an instrument that measures angle at a joint. Goniometers show degrees of an angle from zero to 180 or 360 degrees and are available in different shapes and sizes for the unique joints in the human body.

What measures the amount of ROM at a joint?

A goniometer is an instrument that measures the available range of motion at a joint. The art and science of measuring the joint ranges in each plane of the joint are called goniometry.

What is full ankle dorsiflexion?

Dorsiflexion is the backward bending and contracting of your hand or foot. This is the extension of your foot at the ankle and your hand at the wrist. … Dorsiflexion occurs in your ankle when you draw your toes back toward your shins. You contract the shinbones and flex the ankle joint when you dorsiflex your foot.

Is dorsiflexion a flexion or extension?

Dorsiflexion and plantar flexion refer to extension or flexion of the foot at the ankle. These terms refer to flexion in direction of the “back” of the foot, which is the upper surface of the foot when standing, and flexion in direction of the sole of the foot.

What is the normal range of wrist ulnar deviation?

Test PositionNormal RangeSubject sitting with forearm resting on table Stabilize forearm to prevent pronation or supination35° ± 3.8° (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) 30° (American Medical Association) 36.0° (mean) 3.8° (standard deviation), (Boone and Azen)