Normal values for every major joint in one table: the AAOS reference values, the AMA Guides where they apply, and what healthy adults actually measured in a large CDC study.
These are the reference values most clinicians compare against, from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and, for the arm, the AMA Guides. Next to them are averages from a CDC study that measured hundreds of healthy adults. Treat all of them as a guide rather than a pass mark: normal range varies with age, sex and how the motion is measured.
Normal range of motion by joint
| Motion | AAOS | AMA Guides | CDC average women / men |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shoulder | |||
| Flexion | 0–180° | 0–180° | 172° / 169° |
| Extension | 0–60° | 0–50° | – |
| Abduction | 0–180° | 0–170° | – |
| Internal rotation | 0–70° | 0–80° | – |
| External rotation | 0–90° | 0–60° | – |
| Elbow and forearm | |||
| Elbow flexion | 0–150° | 0–140° (5th ed.) | 150° / 145° |
| Elbow extension CDC values past 0° are hyperextension | 0° | 0° | 5° / 1° |
| Forearm pronation | 0–80° | 0–80° | 82° / 77° |
| Forearm supination | 0–80° | 0–70° | 91° / 85° |
| Wrist | |||
| Flexion | 0–80° | 0–60° | – |
| Extension | 0–70° | 0–60° | – |
| Radial deviation | 0–20° | 0–20° | – |
| Ulnar deviation | 0–30° | 0–30° | – |
| Hip | |||
| Flexion | 0–120° | – | 134° / 130° |
| Extension | 0–30° | – | 18° / 17° |
| Abduction | 0–45° | – | – |
| Adduction | 0–30° | – | – |
| Internal rotation | 0–45° | – | – |
| External rotation | 0–45° | – | – |
| Knee | |||
| Flexion | 0–135° | – | 142° / 138° |
| Extension CDC values past 0° are hyperextension | 0° | – | 2° / 1° |
| Ankle | |||
| Dorsiflexion | 0–20° | – | 14° / 13° |
| Plantarflexion | 0–50° | – | 62° / 55° |
| Inversion | 0–35° | – | – |
| Eversion | 0–15° | – | – |
| Neck | |||
| Flexion | 0–45° | – | – |
| Extension | 0–45° | – | – |
| Lateral flexion | 0–45° | – | – |
| Rotation | 0–60° | – | – |
| Low back | |||
| Flexion Thoracolumbar, measured as a whole | 0–80° | – | – |
| Extension | 0–25° | – | – |
| Lateral flexion References disagree | Varies | – | – |
| Rotation References disagree | Varies | – | – |
By age and sex
From the CDC Normal Joint Range of Motion Study: more than 600 healthy people measured by physical therapists with universal goniometers. Women had more range than men in nearly every joint, and range fell with age in both.
| Motion | Women 20–44 | Men 20–44 | Women 45–69 | Men 45–69 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shoulder flexion | 172.0° | 168.8° | 168.1° | 164.0° |
| Elbow flexion | 150.0° | 144.6° | 148.3° | 143.5° |
| Elbow extension | 4.7° | 0.8° | 3.6° | -0.7° |
| Forearm pronation | 82.0° | 76.9° | 80.8° | 77.7° |
| Forearm supination | 90.6° | 85.0° | 87.2° | 82.4° |
| Hip flexion | 133.8° | 130.4° | 130.8° | 127.2° |
| Hip extension | 18.1° | 17.4° | 16.7° | 13.5° |
| Knee flexion | 141.9° | 137.7° | 137.8° | 132.9° |
| Knee extension | 1.6° | 1.0° | 1.2° | 0.5° |
| Ankle dorsiflexion | 13.8° | 12.7° | 11.6° | 11.9° |
| Ankle plantarflexion | 62.1° | 54.6° | 56.5° | 49.4° |
Normal values and how to measure, by joint
Each joint page has the full table, goniometer alignment for every motion and tips for measuring from a camera.
Shoulder Range of Motion
Flexion, extension, abduction and rotation, with goniometer landmarks.
See shoulder values → HipHip Range of Motion
Flexion, extension, abduction, adduction and rotation, with landmarks.
See hip values → KneeKnee Range of Motion
Flexion and extension, with goniometer landmarks and camera tips.
See knee values → AnkleAnkle Range of Motion
Dorsiflexion, plantarflexion, inversion and eversion, with landmarks.
See ankle values → NeckCervical Range of Motion
Flexion, extension, lateral flexion and rotation of the neck.
See neck values → Low backLumbar Range of Motion
Flexion, extension and side bending, with measurement methods.
See low back values →Why two clinicians get different numbers
A goniometer reading depends on the person holding it. Finding the bony landmarks, lining up the arms and positioning the patient all add variation, and that variation is larger between two clinicians than for one clinician measuring twice.
- Small changes between two clinicians may not be real. At the shoulder, a true change measured by two different therapists needs about 15°, compared with 6° to 11° when the same therapist measures both times. Agreement between testers is weakest for shoulder extension and internal rotation.
- The instrument matters. At the knee, the smallest difference you can trust is about 6° with an inclinometer, 10° with a long-arm goniometer, 12° with a smartphone app and 14° with a short-arm goniometer or a visual estimate.
- Video can work. Shoulder angles measured over a video call with an on-screen protractor came within 0.2° to 5° of goniometer readings on average, and most smartphone apps studied show adequate reliability.
- What helps: a written protocol for patient position and landmarks, the same instrument each time, the same clinician where possible, and a note of how the measurement was taken.
Measuring from a camera takes out the hand-held step. Nobody has to line up the goniometer arms by hand, and the same view can be set up visit after visit.
Early access is limited, and we set up every account personally.
Sources
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Joint Motion: Method of Measuring and Recording. Chicago: AAOS; 1965.
- AAOS values as tabulated in a Jones & Bartlett Learning clinical handbook, chapter 1 (sample chapter). Link
- Hendriks et al. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open. 2020. Supplement: normal range of motion values according to the AAOS. Link
- American Medical Association. Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment. 6th ed. 2008, with the AMA Clarifications and Corrections. Link
- American Medical Association. Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment. 5th ed. 2000. Elbow flexion as applied in US Department of Labor ECAB decision 03-2221. Link
- Soucie JM, Wang C, Forsyth A, et al. Range of motion measurements: reference values and a database for comparison studies. Haemophilia. 2011;17(3):500-507. Reference values from the CDC Normal Joint Range of Motion Study. Link
- Norkin CC, White DJ. Measurement of Joint Motion: A Guide to Goniometry. 5th ed. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis; 2016.
- Mullaney MJ, et al. Physiother Theory Pract. 2010;26:327 (reliability of shoulder range of motion measurement). Link
- Riddle DL, Rothstein JM, Lamb RL. Goniometric reliability in a clinical setting: shoulder measurements. Phys Ther. 1987;67:668. Link
- Hancock GE, et al. J Exp Orthop. 2018 (reliability of knee range of motion measurement methods). Link
- Sahu et al. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2022;31:201 (shoulder range of motion by video conference versus goniometer). Link
- Keogh JWL, et al. Reliability and validity of clinically accessible smartphone applications to measure joint range of motion: a systematic review. PLOS ONE. 2019;14:e0215806. Link
Measure range of motion from any camera.
No goniometer, no wearables. The same movement, measured the same way, every visit.
Straight answers. If yours is not here, request access and ask us anything.
The amount a joint moves in a healthy adult, measured in degrees from a defined zero position. Reference values like those from the AAOS describe typical adult ranges, not a strict cut-off.
They come from different populations and methods. Even tables that all say they follow the AAOS differ for a few motions, such as hip extension and knee flexion. Pick one reference and use it consistently.
Yes. In the CDC study, range of motion fell with age, and women had more range than men in nearly every joint. Comparing a patient with their own baseline is often more useful than comparing with a population value.
Yes. MotionArc measures range of motion, form and balance from any phone, tablet or laptop camera, in the clinic or live on a video call. Early access is open to a small group of professionals.
Clinicians sign a business associate agreement (BAA) with us before any real patient data is entered. The free goniometer on this site runs in your browser and never uploads photos.