Three methods for measuring range of motion while wearing protective clothing: A comparative study

This paper evaluates three methods for objectively measuring ROM while workers are wearing protective clothing: a universal goniometer, a Leighton Flexometer, and an electrogoniometer. Ten male subjects performed a set of nine gross body movements while semi-nude and while wearing each of nine configurations of coveralls. Coveralls varied in relative size and fabric weight, Changes in joint angles were measured simultaneously with the goniometer and the electrogoniometer, and then simultaneously with the Flexometer and the electrogoniometer. The goniometer and Flexometer data were positively correlated across garment treatments, but the electrogoniometer data were not highly correlated with either the goniometer or Flexometer data. Precision was similar between the goniometer and Flexometer, but the goniometer was found to be much less invasive than the Flexometer. Relevance to industry Range-of-motion is an important performance measure for workers wearing personal protective clothing. It is frequently used to compare competing garment designs and to assess worker mobility. This paper compares three methods for objectively measuring range-of-motion and recommends a method for use in future studies.