Hip and Shoulder Goniometry The tension and arrangement of the muscles around the hip and shoulder gives the stability needed to hold the bones together and provide the flexibility that allows movement to occur. The hip has a deep socket with strong surrounding ligaments and muscles, while the shoulder has shallow sockets with fewer ligaments and weaker muscles. If the muscles and ligaments are weak from misuse, the stability of the joint is reduced thus effecting their ability to function adequately. Range of motion (ROM) is related to joint stability, often determined by the laxity of the surrounding ligaments and muscles. “The arrangement and relative laxity and or extensibility of tendons, ligaments and muscles are some of the factors of ROM.” (Susan J. Hall) One of the instruments to measure ROM is the goniometer. Goniometer is used to determine the joint position relative to a set point and the total amount of motion available at a joint. The measurements are obtained by placing the goniometer along the proximal and distal bones adjacent to the joint being measured. The following study is comparing the hip and shoulder of both genders.Methods:This study involved forty-five college men and women of varying ages, ethnic groups, and athletic background. All the subjects were paired up with a partner and did the measurements themselves during their allotted lab times. The following were the joints angles that were measured using the goniometer: shoulder abduction, shoulder hyperextension, shoulder flexion, shoulder lateral rotation, shoulder medial rotation, hip abduction, hip hyperextension, hip flexion, hip lateral rotation, hip medial rotation. In the measurements that was recorded, human error and past injuries would influence the data. This is why .002 (alpha number) is going to be calculated in with the data. Dependent t-test, independent t-test, mean and standard deviation are the following statistical a...
