Isokinetic knee flexion and extension torque in the upright sitting and semireclined sitting positions.

We undertook this study to determine whether the isokinetic knee extension and flexion torque generated by 14 young healthy women was greater in the upright sitting test position or in the semireclined sitting test position. Testing was performed at 60 degrees/sec. Knee extension torque did not differ significantly between the two test positions. The subjects, however, did produce significantly greater knee flexion torque when upright compared with when semireclined (p less than .001). Therapists should recognize that the results of testing isokinetic knee extension in the two positions may be similar, but that the results of testing isokinetic knee flexion may be significantly different.