Putting on socks is a task children commonly encounter, and which, by the age of 5-6 years are expected to be able to do independently.
In the video clip below you see me putting on socks. There are several features worth noticing:
1 Flexibility requirements
- Bringing the hands to the foot to pull the sock over the toes requires full range of hip flexion along with some flexion in the lower trunk, along with full flexion of the knee.
- If the foot is lifted onto the opposite knee, then a good range of flexion/lateral rotation in needed
2 Stabilization of the lower limb
- Keeping the foot steady as the sock is pulled over the foot requires effective stabilizing action of the hip, knee and ankle muscles.
3 Stabilization of the toes
- The ankle is usually held in a degree of dorsiflexion, and the toes tend extend as the foot is held steady when the sock is first pulled over the toes.
4 An effective grip
- The soft and flexible material of the sock needs to be held in a firm grip as the sock is pulled up over the foot.