Assessment of Bilateral Shoulder Range of Motion in Firefighter Trainees Using a Markerless Motion Capture System

Conner Howard, Alexis Kahnt, Jennifer L. Volberding, Jay Dawes

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The unpredictable environments firefighters face paired with biomechanically compromising shoulder movements, such as overhead and lifting movements, place this population at an increased risk for shoulder injury. The purpose of this study was to assess firefighter trainees’ bilateral shoulder range of motion (ROM) using the Dynamic Athletic Research Institute Motion system. Retrospective anthropometric and ROM data for 31 male firefighter trainees were analyzed. Firefighter trainees’ mean shoulder ROM for bilateral external rotation, internal rotation, and extension were lower than previously published values. External rotation demonstrated the lowest percentage of trainees within normal ROM (left—6.67%, right—16.67%). Noting the susceptibility of upper extremity injuries among firefighters, establishing baseline ROM measurements for reference may improve musculoskeletal evaluations, training interventions, and injury rehabilitation.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)263-268
Number of pages6
JournalInternational Journal of Athletic Therapy and Training
Volume28
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2023

Keywords

  • firefighter musculoskeletal screening
  • markerless motion capture analysis
  • shoulder dynamometry
  • shoulder injuries
  • shoulder mobility

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