Upper limb joint mobility ranges during activities of daily living determined by three-dimensional motion analysis--preliminary report.
BACKGROUND
Analysis of hand therapy programmes used in various hand therapy centres shows that the programmes primarily aim to restore a maximum range of motion, although basic activities of daily living do not often require full joint mobility. This report of our investigations, which commenced in 2003, presents the results of an evaluation of the range of motion in the joints of the upper limb, including both proximal and hand joints, during selected daily activities.


METHODS
Right-handed students of physical therapy were examined using a three-dimensional motion analysis system in the Biokinetics Laboratory of the Division of Biomechanics at the University of Physical Education in Kraków. Spatial registration of movement focused on three daily activities that primarily involve the upper limb, namely, natural movements associated with combing, closing a zip fastener and answering a telephone call. Angular changes in the joints recorded in three movement planes were used as analysis inputs.


RESULTS
The range of motion in the analysed joints during daily activities never reached the respective maximal values, usually centering around the middle point of the ranges.


CONCLUSIONS
Daily activities require only limited mobility in the upper limb joints. Three-dimensional motion analysis is a useful tool to monitor and assess this phenomenon. The results of such assessments should be taken into account by hand therapists designing and implementing rehabilitation programmes.
Pieniazek
Marek
M
Zakład Kinezyterapii, Katedra Fizjoterapii AWF Kraków, Poland. mcrrwss@wp.pl
Chwała
Wiesław
W
Szczechowicz
Jakub
J
Pelczar-Pieniazek
Maria
M
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D050823:Hand Joints / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000502:physiology*