For MMT of ankle dorsiflexion in gravity minimized, where is the tested limb positioned?

• A. Side lying with the tested limb on top resting on a powder board or smooth surface
• B. Prone with the foot hanging over the edge
• C. Supine with knee bent
• D. Seated with leg straight

Answer: (A)

Gravity eliminated testing aims to remove the limb’s weight as a factor so you can judge the muscle’s true strength. For ankle dorsiflexion, you want the muscle to work without gravity helping or resisting the movement, so you position the body to minimize torque from body weight. Placing the person on their side with the limb to be tested on top and supported on a smooth surface achieves this: the leg is held in a horizontal plane, gravity isn’t driving the foot into plantarflexion or dorsiflexion, and the smooth surface reduces friction, letting the tibialis anterior move the ankle without extra resistance from the table. This setup stabilizes the limb and isolates the movement to the ankle joint.

Other positions tend to reintroduce gravitational forces or complicate stabilization, which is why side-lying on top with a smooth surface is preferred for gravity-minimized dorsiflexion testing.