Range of Motion and Walking Status in Adults with Long-Term Disabilities Attending a Disability Welfare Facility: A Cross-Sectional Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33700/jhrs.5.2.293Keywords:
Knee Joint, Physical Functional Performance, Long-Term Care, RehabilitationAbstract
Aim: To describe routinely measured joint range of motion (ROM) in adults with long-term disabilities attending a disability welfare facility, evaluate measurement completion, and explore associations between ROM and physical therapist-defined walking status. Evidence from heterogeneous populations receiving long-term disability support remains limited.
Methods: This exploratory retrospective cross-sectional observational study included 47 facility users. Passive ROM was assessed bilaterally for shoulder flexion, elbow flexion and extension, knee flexion and extension, and ankle dorsiflexion in routine care. Participants were classified as walking-capable or walking-difficulty based on clinical observation independently of ROM. Completion rates were calculated for each movement. Between-group differences were examined using Mann–Whitney U tests, and age associations using Spearman correlations. Twelve group comparisons were assessed using a Bonferroni sensitivity threshold of p < 0.0042.
Results: Measurement completion varied between movements and was lowest for knee flexion. The walking-capable group showed less bilateral knee extension limitation at nominal significance (left: p = 0.005, r = 0.43; right: p = 0.009, r = 0.40), but neither comparison met the Bonferroni-adjusted threshold. No other joint movement showed a nominally significant between-group difference. No statistically significant association between age and ROM was detected.
Conclusion: Bilateral knee extension ROM differed between clinical walking-status groups at nominal significance but not after adjustment for multiple comparisons. Routinely collected knee extension ROM may complement mobility-related physical impairment assessment in disability welfare settings. The small, heterogeneous sample, missing measurements, and unadjusted cross-sectional analyses require cautious interpretation; these findings are exploratory rather than confirmatory.
Metrics
Show data table
Show data table
Metrics by source
Downloads
References
Attias, M., Chevalley, O., Bonnefoy-Mazure, A., De Coulon, G., Cheze, L., & Armand, S. (2016). Effects of contracture on gait kinematics: A systematic review. Clinical Biomechanics, 33, 103–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2016.02.017 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2016.02.017
Gajdosik, R. L., & Bohannon, R. W. (1987). Clinical measurement of range of motion: Review of goniometry emphasizing reliability and validity. Physical Therapy, 67(12), 1867–1872. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/67.12.1867 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/67.12.1867
Gates, D. H., Walters, L. S., Cowley, J., Wilken, J. M., & Resnik, L. (2016). Range of motion requirements for upper-limb activities of daily living. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 70(1), 7001350010p1–7001350010p10. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2016.015487 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2016.015487
Harato, K., Nagura, T., Matsumoto, H., Otani, T., Toyama, Y., & Suda, Y. (2008). A gait analysis of simulated knee flexion contracture to elucidate knee-spine syndrome. Gait & Posture, 28(4), 687–692. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2008.05.008 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2008.05.008
Hilgenkamp, T. I. M., van Wijck, R., & Evenhuis, H. M. (2010). Physical fitness in older people with ID—Concept and measuring instruments: A review. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 31(5), 1027–1038. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2010.04.012 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2010.04.012
Hyodo, K., Masuda, T., Aizawa, J., Jinno, T., & Morita, S. (2017). Hip, knee, and ankle kinematics during activities of daily living: A cross-sectional study. Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy, 21(3), 159–166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjpt.2017.03.012 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjpt.2017.03.012
Jung, H., & Yamasaki, M. (2016). Association of lower extremity range of motion and muscle strength with physical performance of community-dwelling older women. Journal of Physiological Anthropology, 35(1), Article 30. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40101-016-0120-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40101-016-0120-8
Maring, J. R., Costello, E., Birkmeier, M., Richards, M., & Alexander, L. M. (2013). Validating functional measures of physical ability for aging people with intellectual developmental disability. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 118(2), 124–140. https://doi.org/10.1352/1944-7558-118.2.124 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1352/1944-7558-118.2.124
Morgan, P., & McGinley, J. (2014). Gait function and decline in adults with cerebral palsy: A systematic review. Disability and Rehabilitation, 36(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.3109/09638288.2013.775359 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3109/09638288.2013.775359
Mutlu, A., Livanelioglu, A., & Gunel, M. K. (2007). Reliability of goniometric measurements in children with spastic cerebral palsy. Medical Science Monitor, 13(7), CR323–CR329.
Oppewal, A., Hilgenkamp, T. I. M., van Wijck, R., Schoufour, J. D., & Evenhuis, H. M. (2014). Physical fitness is predictive for a decline in daily functioning in older adults with intellectual disabilities: Results of the HA-ID study. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 35(10), 2299–2315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2014.05.027 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2014.05.027
Rodby-Bousquet, E., Czuba, T., Hägglund, G., & Westbom, L. (2013). Postural asymmetries in young adults with cerebral palsy. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 55(11), 1009–1015. https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.12199 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.12199
Skalsky, A. J., & McDonald, C. M. (2012). Prevention and management of limb contractures in neuromuscular diseases. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America, 23(3), 675–687. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmr.2012.06.009 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmr.2012.06.009
Wibeck, A. L., Himmelmann, K., Jonsson, U., & Nyström Eek, M. (2023). Range of motion limitations in middle-aged adults with cerebral palsy. Archives of Rehabilitation Research and Clinical Translation, 5(4), Article 100303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arrct.2023.100303 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arrct.2023.100303
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Tadashi Matsuda, Yoshiteru Akezaki, Yoko Tsuji
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.
Articles published in the Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
This license permits use, distribution, reproduction, adaptation, and commercial use in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited, the authors are credited, and the source is acknowledged.
How to Cite
Citations
