Knee Stability and Movement Coordination Impairments: Knee Ligament Sprain: Clinical Practice Guidelines Linked to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health from the Orthopaedic Section of the American Physical Therapy Association

. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2011 Aug 21.

Published in final edited form as: J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2010 Apr;40(4):A1–A37. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2010.0303

Knee Passive Range of Motion
ICF category	Measure of impairment of body function, mobility of a single joint
Description	The amount of passive knee extension and flexion measured using a goniometer
Measurement method	For measurement using the goniometer, 1 arm of the goniometer is placed parallel to the shaft of the femur lining up with the greater trochanter, and the other arm is placed parallel to the shaft of the lower leg lining up with the lateral malleolus of the fibula. The axis of the goniometer is placed over the lateral femoral epicondyle. Knee extension: The patient is supine. The heel of the limb of interest is propped on a bolster, assuring the back of the knee and calf are not touching the support surface. The amount of knee extension is recorded with the goniometer. Knee flexion: The patient is supine. The patient flexes the knee as far as possible. The therapist then passively flexes the knee to the point of tissue resistance. The amount of knee flexion is recorded with the goniometer.
Nature of variable	Continuous
Units of measurement	Degrees
Measurement properties¹²⁴	Validity: ICC = 0.98–0.99 Intraexaminer reliability coefficients ranging from ICC = 0.85–0.99 Interexaminer reliability coefficients ranging from ICC = 0.62 to 0.99 SEM = 2.37°, MDC₉₅= 6.57°