Single Leg Stance Test

Original Editor - Lucinda hampton

Top Contributors - Lucinda hampton, Clara Foster, Christine Ibeagi, Jessyca Brown, Aminat Abolade, Kim Jackson, Wanda van Niekerk and Saud Alghamdi  

Purpose

• The Single Leg Stance (SLS) Test is used to assess static postural and balance control. The SLS Test is a balance assessment that is widely used in clinical settings to monitor neurological and musculoskeletal conditions.

  

• Abnormal values may indicate conditions such as peripheral neuropathy, intermittent claudication, or other conditions that may impair balance.
• The SLS Test will quantify balance status for those who are at increased risks for fall.

Intended population

• Total Knee Arthroplasty.
• Hip Osteoarthritis.
• Knee Osteoarthritis.
• Elderly

Method

• The test should be performed with eyes open and hands on the hips.
• Instruct the patient to stand on one leg unassisted.
• Begin timing when the patient's foot leaves the ground;
• Stop the time the patient's foot touches the ground and/or when their hands leave the hips.

Age-Related Normative Values

Healthy Older Adults:

• Inability to perform a single leg stance for at least 5 seconds is a predictor of injurious falls (but not of all falls).
• The perform a single leg stance for at least 10s is independently associated with a lower all-cause mortality risk.

Clinical Implications

Ability to control anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) prior to lifting one leg while standing in unsupported equilibrium represents a complex motor task that is significantly impaired by:

• Neurological conditions like multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia
• Stroke
• Traumatic brain injury
• General geriatric population
• Lower extremity pathology like knee osteoarthritis (OA), one of the most common chronic health conditions, is associated with significant impairment and disability, and predominantly affects the elderly population.

Evidence

Total Knee Arthroplasty:

• Good test-retest reliability (ICC=0.72).
• SEM = 7.08s.
• MDC = 19.62s.

Hip Osteoarthritis:

• Good intra-rater test-retest reliability (ICC=0.82).
• SEM = 4.62s.
• MDC = 10.78s.

Elderly:

• Excellent relative reliability (ICC = 0.86) but poor absolute reliability.
• SEM = 8.7s.
• Unlikely to be sensitive at detecting change in performance in clinical settings in older adults.
• Significant and easy-to-administer predictor of injurious falls, but not of all falls in older adults.

Limitations

Single leg stance test normative values are minimal due to limited data.