Ranges of active joint motion for the shoulder, elbow, and wrist in healthy adults.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to show highly reliable normal values and three-dimensional characteristics for final range of motion during active movements of the upper extremity joints, and to develop a database from healthy participants, with the advantage of this database lying in the methods of defining shoulder axial rotation angle and of compensating for soft tissue artifacts. We used an electromagnetic tracking system (FASTRAK) to measure three-dimensional motions of the shoulder (thoracohumeral), elbow/forearm, and wrist in 20 healthy adults (age range: 18-34 years) during active joint motion tasks of the upper extremity. Joint angles of the upper extremity at the final position of joint motion tasks were determined. Highly reliable data for shoulder axial rotation angle were obtained, using a new definition of joint angle and regression analysis to compensate for estimation errors. These results should be useful in setting goals for the treatment of upper extremity joint functions in the fields of rehabilitation, orthopedics, and sports medicine.