Individuals who suffer from arthritis of the knee tend to exhibit inferior strength levels of the muscles that affect the ankle joint.
A new study examined the ankle strength of 37 subjects with knee arthritis and 15 subjects without arthritis. The plantarflexor strength of the arthritis group was significantly weaker compared to the controls.
Conclusions
This study provides further evidence to support the role that the ankle plays in the prevention of knee damage. One possible reason that plantar flexor strength may be so important for the health of the knee is that the tibialis posterior muscle contributes to plantarflexion and also helps stabilize the subtalar joint. Lack of plantarflexion strength may also indicate poor subtalar stability, which can force the knee to take on higher loads of force due to increased valgus.
Consequently, those who suffer from knee pain may benefit by improving the mobility of stability of their ankle joint.
References