ROM Assessment Flashcards
The most common tools to measure joint motion include: Visual Exam/Screen, goniometers, inclinometers, and phone apps
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All tools are used to document AROM and/or PROM to determine impairment, set goals, get reimbursed for services, and assess effects of treatment
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One of the ways we can make our goals for the patient more objective is if we have (subjective/objective) measurements of their ROM.
objective
ROM measurements can be used to show the insurance company that the patient is getting better.
Roger that
If the patients ROM is getting better the treatment is working.
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If you can’t put a patient in a standard position, you must document how you measured their ROM so whoever is working with the patient knows the position they were measured in in order to remeasure their ROM to get accurate measurements. Having the patient cooperate with you can help provide more accurate measurements.
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What is sometimes the only method used to check a person’s lumbar and cervical ROM?
A visual exam/screen
When visually estimating how much motion someone has, you do not need to use any devices. We visually estimate how much motion is in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine visually more often than we do using devices.
Roger that
To visually check the ROM in the vertebral column, ask the patient to flex the spine, extend, side bend, and roate and I will estimate how much motion they have based on the working knowledge on what I think is normal. So I am gonna say whether or not it is 100% normal, 75% of normal, 50% of normal, 25% of normal, or no motion at all (0%).
Sometimes this will be recorded as percent limitation or percent of normal depending on the documentation system you used. So sometimes you will see 25% of cervical flexion or 25% limited in cervical flexion, meaning they have 75% of what is normal.
Roger that
What is the most common tool used to measure motion?
A goniometer
Does the size of the goniometer matter when measuring different joints?
Yes
The axis is the (midpoint/endpoint) of the goniometer.
midpoint
The (stationary/moving) arm is considered the part of the goniometer that is attached to the axis.
stationary
The (stationary/moving) arm is the one that moves on top of the stationary arm.
moving
We line up the goniometer with bony landmarks because they are reproducible (the structure does not move/change).
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If we are trying to measure motion in a particular joint we have to make sure that we get motion of that joint as opposed to a little motion of that joint we are trying to measure and associated motion in other joints. Need to be good at stabilizing or at least watching when we are getting motion in other structures.
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In the 0-180 system when recording goniometric measurements, MOST motions start at the anatomical position and moves to __ degrees no matter which direction the joint is moving.
180
When doing measurements you need to record a starting point for your motion which often times is 0 and you have to record your end point as well. You should always have (one/two) numbers that are associated with that measurement.
two
___ degrees is considered about normal elbow flexion. ___ degrees is about the normal amount of elbow flexion range to be able to touch their shoulder or do ADLs.
135; 135
Normal amount of shoulder abduction should be about ___ degrees.
In the example of someone with only 85 degrees of shoulder abduction, if this was recorded passively then we would know that it is potentially tightness of tissues around that joint unless they have an empty end feel (pain that could have caused them to stop from trying to abduct further). If it was recorded actively, maybe they could only lift 85 degrees and if we assess the passive range and they have more motion than the active range then the most probable cause is __ or __.
180; muscle weakness/strength or pain
Our standard position for measuring shoulder internal/external rotation is at __ degrees of abduction without the humerus rotated.
90
__ degrees is considered normal external rotation for most people.
90
Elbow flexion: 10-135 degrees means that you were not able to start at anatomical position, they for some reason were in 10 degrees of (flexion/extension) when we first went to go measure them and then they progressed to 135 degrees. So they are lacking full elbow (flexion/extension) at this point.
flexion; extension
Full elbow extension would be __ degrees (anatomical position).
0