A Reference Range of Dart-Thrower's Motion at the Wrist in a Healthy Adult Population

Abstract

Purpose: Dart-thrower's motion (DTM) is a functional wrist movement from maximum radial extension to maximum ulnar flexion. This study defines a reference range of DTM in a healthy population.

Methods: Goniometric measurements were collected from both wrists of 200 healthy volunteers. Mean age was 21.1 years (range, 18-25 years), 126 volunteers (63%) were female, and 177 (89%) were right-handed. Volunteers also reported perceived difficulty of performing DTM.

Results: For male subjects, the mean arc of motion was 126° (range, 83°-166°) for dominant and 114° (range, 62°-148°) for nondominant wrists. For female subjects, the mean values were 129° (range, 79°-170°) and 126° (range, 70°-167°), respectively. On multiple regression analysis, female subjects had a significantly increased range of dominant and nondominant arc of motion compared with males. Older subjects had significantly increased dominant but reduced nondominant arc of motion. High inter- and intrarater reliability was observed for goniometric measurement of DTM (intraclass correlation coefficients, 0.93-0.98).

Conclusions: This study quantified a reference range of DTM in normal individuals.

Clinical relevance: This study provides a reference range for DTM in a young adult population, which may aid clinical comparison of measurements of wrist movement and evaluation of conditions and treatments that impact DTM.

Keywords: Dart-thrower’s motion; intercarpal joint; range of motion.