Studies of the normal range of joint motion in human adults are uncommon, and
frequently used references are based on materials not immediately accessible. The
present paper reports on ranges of motion in healthy male subjects, 3040 years
old, in a randomized sample from the population in the city of Goteborg. It is based
on 210 hips, 180 knees and 192 ankle joints. Arcs of passive motion were measured
by techniques suggested by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Significant
differences were found between the obtained measurements and previous
referenced studies. The differences can be due to the measurement procedure,
difficulties in measurement technique, the patient material, and inter-individual
variations. There was no statistically significant difference between the motions of
the right and left side, and it is therefore suggested that a patient’s healthy limb can
be used for comparison with the affected side in the presence of disease or a lesion