Execution
- 1Position the patient supine or long sitting with the ankle near neutral.
- 2Resist ankle plantarflexion, dorsiflexion, inversion, and eversion without allowing visible movement.
- 3Resist toe extension and toe flexion when tendon, nerve, or intrinsic/extrinsic muscle involvement is suspected.
- 4Compare pain, weakness, cramping, and endurance with the opposite side.
- 5Note whether symptoms match a tendon, muscle, peripheral nerve, or nerve-root pattern.
Positive outcome
Abnormal findings: pain, weakness, cramping, or reduced endurance with contraction.
Interpretation- Pain with contraction: contractile-tissue involvement
- Weakness without pain: tendon rupture, neurological deficit, or severe inhibition
- Painful resisted plantarflexion: may implicate the Achilles tendon or calf complex
- Painful resisted inversion or eversion: may implicate tibialis posterior or peroneal tendons
Exact joint position matters because tendon load changes with ankle and foot position. The test screens contractile tissue and neurological function but does not identify a specific diagnosis by itself.
CommentMagee includes resisted isometric movements for knee flexion, plantarflexion, dorsiflexion, supination, pronation, toe extension, and toe flexion in the ankle-foot assessment. The test is useful for screening contractile tissue and neurological function but does not identify a specific diagnosis by itself. Exact joint position matters because tendon load changes with ankle and foot position.
Low Clinical Value