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. Objective: 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. Design: This was a randomized clinical trial. Setting: This study was conducted in an outpatient clinic. Participants: Community-dwelling, older adults over 60 years of age who had limited ankle mobility participated in this study. Interventions: 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. Measurements: 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. Results: 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. Limitations: Optimal dose and effects from follow-up evaluations for treatment volumes of fewer than 6 sessions remain unknown. Conclusions: 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.