AUTHOR=Mañago Mark M. , Kline Paul W. , Harris-Love Michael O. , Christiansen Cory L. 

TITLE=The Validity of the Single-Leg Heel Raise Test in People With Multiple Sclerosis: A Cross-Sectional Study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neurology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2021.650297

DOI=10.3389/fneur.2021.650297

ISSN=1664-2295

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> The single-leg heel raise test is a common clinical assessment; however, little is known about its validity in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). This study investigated the validity of the single-leg heel raise test in a group of people with MS and a healthy control group (CTL).</p><p><bold>Materials and Methods:</bold> Twenty-one people with MS (49 ± 12 years, Expanded Disability Status Scale 1.5–5.5) and 10 healthy controls (48 ± 12 years) performed the single-leg heel raise test, ankle plantarflexion isometric strength assessment using electromechanical dynamometry, and mobility measures (Timed 25-Foot Walk, 2-Min Walk Test, Functional Stair Test).</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> Convergent validity between the heel raise test and strength was moderate for participants with MS completing &lt;20 heel raises (<italic>r</italic> = 0.63, <italic>p</italic> = 0.001) but weak for the entire sample (<italic>r</italic> = 0.30, <italic>p</italic> = 0.020). Compared to the average CTL group values, the heel raise test differentiated between groups on the MS groups' weaker (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001) and stronger (<italic>p</italic> = 0.003) limbs, while strength only differentiated between groups on the weaker limb (<italic>p</italic> = 0.010). Considering the weaker and strong limbs from the MS group and the CTL group average values, the mobility measures had moderate-to-strong correlations with the heel raise test on the weaker MS limb + CTL (<italic>r</italic> = 0.71–0.78) and stronger MS limb + CTL (<italic>r</italic> = 0.62–0.70), and weak-to-moderate correlations with strength on the weaker MS limb + CTL (<italic>r</italic> = 0.49–0.58, <italic>p</italic> = 0.001–0.007).</p><p><bold>Discussion:</bold> In people with MS, the single-leg heel raise test may be clinically useful as it identified impaired muscle performance and differentiated muscle performance from a healthy control group and, together with the control group, correlated with functional mobility.</p>