Correlation of body mass index with ankle joint range of motion in young adults

Introduction: The body mass index (BMI) together with gender and age widely affect the movements of joints of the individual. The increments in the magnitude of weight of body have a detrimental impact on the interaction of joints and muscles which have a long-term impact on balance and posture of the individual. The posture and balance is compromised to a great extent by the reduction of joints of the lower limb. Objectives: To calculate the BMI, range of motion (ROM) of ankle joints in both flexed and extended knee positions bilaterally and to correlate the effects of BMI on the ROM of ankle joint. Materials and Methods: The Department of Anatomy, School of Medical Sciences and Research, Sharda University, Greater Noida was the place of this cross-sectional study in which 235 subjects (108 males and 127 females) in the age group of 18-25 years participated voluntarily. Results: One-way ANOVA analysis of bilateral values of ankle dorsiflexion with flexed and extended knee of both sides revealed a statistically significant difference with a progressive decrease in the values from normal to obese group. Conclusion: The findings of the present study could prove useful for designing rehabilitative interventions for the overweight and obese subjects with the aim to improve their activities of daily living and reduce the morbidity from increased body mass.