How many times should each hip and knee ROM movement be performed?

How many times should each hip and knee ROM movement be performed?

• A. 3 times
• B. 1 time
• C. 2 times
• D. 4 times

Answer: (A)

Moving a hip or knee joint through its full range and repeating that movement three times provides enough repetitions to feel out the entire arc, notice any discomfort or resistance, and get a stable, repeatable sense of what the joint can do. This standard three-repetition approach helps you assess whether the joint moves smoothly through its range, stops at the end range, and whether there’s any pain or limitation to report. Doing it only once wouldn’t give you a complete picture of the joint’s capacity, and doing it twice often isn’t enough to observe patterns or document a reliable baseline. Four repetitions aren’t necessary and can tire the resident. So three moves for each hip and knee is the balanced, correct practice.

Moving a hip or knee joint through its full range and repeating that movement three times provides enough repetitions to feel out the entire arc, notice any discomfort or resistance, and get a stable, repeatable sense of what the joint can do. This standard three-repetition approach helps you assess whether the joint moves smoothly through its range, stops at the end range, and whether there’s any pain or limitation to report.

Doing it only once wouldn’t give you a complete picture of the joint’s capacity, and doing it twice often isn’t enough to observe patterns or document a reliable baseline. Four repetitions aren’t necessary and can tire the resident. So three moves for each hip and knee is the balanced, correct practice.