A Randomized Controlled Trial Assessing the Evolution of the Weight-Bearing Ankle Dorsiflexion Range of Motion Over 6 Sessions of Talus Mobilizations in Older Adults.

Abstract

Ankle range of motion declines with age, affecting mobility and postural control. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a talus mobilization-based intervention among healthy community-dwelling older adults presenting with limited weight-bearing ankle dorsiflexion range of motion and determine how ankle mobility evolved over the treatment. This was a randomized clinical trial. This study was conducted in an outpatient clinic. Community-dwelling, older adults over 60 years of age who had limited ankle mobility participated in this study. The experimental intervention consisted of 6 sessions of manual therapy applied in the ankle joint. The control group received the same volume of sham treatment. The primary outcome was the weight-bearing ankle dorsiflexion range of motion as measured using the lunge test. Data were collected at 9 time points: baseline, after each session, and follow-up. A total of 36 participants were analyzed. A single session of mobilization increased ankle range of motion by 8 degrees (95% confidence interval = 6 to 11). At the end of the sixth session, this effect had increased slightly to 11 degrees (95% confidence interval = 9 to 13). Significant between-group differences were found throughout the intervention. Optimal dose and effects from follow-up evaluations for treatment volumes of fewer than 6 sessions remain unknown. Six sessions of a talus mobilization-based intervention in healthy community-dwelling older adults found that the greatest mobility gain in terms of the weight-bearing ankle dorsiflexion range of motion is produced after the first session. Additional sessions produce smaller improvements with a slight upward trend. Importantly, the restoration of joint mobility is enhanced over time after the end of the intervention.