Limited range of motion

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

The structure of a joint

Overview

Treatment

Limited range of motion

Definition:

Limited range of motion is a reduction in the normal distance and direction through which a joint can move.

Considerations:

Range of motion is the natural distance and direction of movement of a joint. Limited range of motion is a relative term indicating that a specific joint or body part cannot move through its normal and full range of motion.

text continues below

Motion may be limited by a mechanical problem within the joint that prevents it from moving beyond a certain point, by swelling of tissue around the joint, by spasticity of the muscles, or by pain.

Diseases that prevent a joint from fully extending may, over time, produce contracture deformities, causing permanent inability to extend the joint beyond a certain fixed position.

Common Causes:

Rheumatoid arthritis
Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
Ankylosing spondylitis
Cerebral palsy
Fracture of elbow (olecranon process)
Fractures through most joints
Dislocation (most joints)
Radial head dislocation (nursemaids elbow), extremely common
Congenital torticollis
Septic joint (especially septic hip)
Legg-Calve-Perthes disease
Syphilis
Mucopolysaccharide storage diseases
- Hurler syndrome
- Scheie syndrome
- Hunter syndrome
- Morquio syndrome
Progeria
Ellis-van Creveld syndrome