Reliability of an isokinetic dorsiflexion and plantar flexion apparatus.

The insufficient amount of research to support high reliability of isokinetic ankle joint adaptations indicates a need for study in this area. Certain brands of isokinetic machinery and specific joint apparatuses have been studied for consistency in adequate numbers of investigations, while there has been little research done on other brands and all other joint adaptations besides the knee. We studied the Biodex B-2000 dorsiflexion and plantar flexion adaptation for reliability between two trials of contractions measuring peak torque. Our results showed generally low reliability coefficients between trials in every condition tested with respect to each ankle motion and two different isokinetic speeds. No connection was seen between ankle motion and isokinetic speed with respect to reliability. Attempts to pinpoint reasons behind inconsistencies concentrate upon such areas as the subject testing position, time between trials, and machine structure. Areas of further study might deal with different brands of isokinetic devices and also the different joint adaptations.