Comparison of Tibialis Anterior Muscle Activity and Dorsiflexor Strength according to Toe Postures

Comparison of Tibialis Anterior Muscle Activity and Dorsiflexor Strength according to Toe Postures

Background: The strength of dorsiflexor muscle is frequently measured to evaluate the performance of ankle joint in the clinical setting. However, little research into comparison of tibialis anterior (TA) muscle activity and dorsiflexor strength according to toe postures during dorsiflexion has been reported. Purpose: The purpose was to compare TA muscle activity and dorsiflexor strength according to toe postures in sitting position. The TA muscle is very important in the ankle joint structures. The selective strengthening exercise for the TA muscle is essential to improve the performance of ankle joint. Study design: Study design Comparative, repeated measures design. Methods: Twenty five subjects was enrolled in this study. The TA muscle activity and dorsiflexor strength during dorsiflexion with toe flexion and toe extension were measured by using a surface EMG device and a hand held dynamometer. Paired t-test was used to confirm the significant difference between conditions. The level of statistical significance was set at α=0.05. Results: The TA muscle activity and dorsiflexor strength were significantly different between dorsiflexion with toe flexion and with toe extension (p<0.05). The dorsiflexor strength during dorsiflexion with toe flexion was significantly smaller compared to that with toe extension. In contrast, the TA muscle activity during dorsiflexion with toe flexion was significantly greater compared to that with toe extension (p<0.05). Conclusions: The dorsiflexion with toe flexion can be more effective to selectively increase TA muscle activity compared to that with toe extension. The dorsiflexion with toe flexion for selective TA muscle strengthening can be recommended.