FUNCTIONAL RANGE OF MOTION OF THE ELBOW

One hundred normal upper extremities in 50 adults were sequentially st udied in a Bledsoe brace, which limited elbow motion. The amount of fl exion and extension of the elbow was serially limited by 15 degrees in crements. At each setting, the subjects were asked to perform 12 activ ities of daily living. The percentage of subjects who completed each t ask with the specified range of motion was determined. Overall, 49 of the subjects performed all of the tasks with extension limited al 75 d egrees and flexion limited at 120 degrees. By isolating the allowable range of motion of the elbow and allowing for compensatory motions and strategies of the normal adjacent joints, the functional elbow range of motion is established as 75 degrees-120 degrees flexion. Thus, the functional status of a patient with a specific elbow range of motion c an be predicted more accurately.