| 1 | DVBCWJW5 ;ALB/RLC JOINTS WKS TEXT - 1 ; 7 APRIL 2005 | 
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| 2 | ;;2.7;AMIE;**94**;FEB 17, 2004 | 
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| 3 | ; | 
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| 4 | ; | 
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| 5 | TXT ; | 
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| 6 | ;;A.  Review of Medical Records: | 
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| 7 | ;; | 
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| 8 | ;; | 
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| 9 | ;; | 
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| 10 | ;;B.  Medical History (Subjective Complaints): | 
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| 11 | ;; | 
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| 12 | ;;    Comment on: | 
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| 13 | ;; | 
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| 14 | ;;    1.  Pain, weakness, stiffness, swelling, heat and redness, | 
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| 15 | ;;        instability or giving way, "locking," fatigability, lack of | 
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| 16 | ;;        endurance, etc. | 
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| 17 | ;;    2.  Treatment - type, dose, frequency, response, side effects. | 
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| 18 | ;;    3.  If there are periods of flare-up of joint disease: | 
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| 19 | ;; | 
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| 20 | ;;        a.  State their severity, frequency, and duration. | 
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| 21 | ;;        b.  Name the precipitating and alleviating factors. | 
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| 22 | ;;        c.  State to what extent, if any, per veteran, they | 
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| 23 | ;;            result in additional limitation of motion or | 
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| 24 | ;;            functional impairment during the flare-up. | 
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| 25 | ;; | 
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| 26 | ;;    4.  Describe whether crutches, brace, cane, corrective shoes, | 
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| 27 | ;;        etc., are needed. | 
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| 28 | ;;    5.  Describe details of any surgery or injury. | 
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| 29 | ;;    6.  Describe any episodes of dislocation or recurrent subluxation. | 
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| 30 | ;;    7.  For inflammatory arthritis, describe any constitutional | 
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| 31 | ;;        symptoms. | 
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| 32 | ;;    8.  Describe the effects of the condition on the veteran's usual | 
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| 33 | ;;        occupation and daily activities. | 
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| 34 | ;;    9.  Dominance of extremity and means used to identify | 
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| 35 | ;;        dominant extremity. | 
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| 36 | ;;   10.  If there is a prosthesis, provide date of prosthetic implant | 
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| 37 | ;;        and describe any complaint of pain, weakness, or limitation | 
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| 38 | ;;        of motion.  State whether crutches, brace, etc., are needed. | 
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| 39 | ;; | 
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| 40 | ;; | 
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| 41 | ;;C.  Physical Examination (Objective Findings): | 
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| 42 | ;; | 
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| 43 | ;;    Address each of the following as appropriate to the condition | 
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| 44 | ;;    being examined and fully describe current findings:  A DETAILED | 
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| 45 | ;;    ASSESSMENT OF EACH AFFECTED JOINT IS REQUIRED, INCLUDING JOINTS | 
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| 46 | ;;    WITH PROSTHESES. | 
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| 47 | ;; | 
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| 48 | ;;    1.  Using a goniometer, measure the PASSIVE and ACTIVE range of | 
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| 49 | ;;        motion, including movement against gravity and against strong | 
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| 50 | ;;        resistance.  Provide range of motion in degrees. | 
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| 51 | ;;    2.  If the joint is painful on motion, state at what point in the | 
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| 52 | ;;        range of motion pain begins and ends. | 
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| 53 | ;;    3.  Describe presence or absence of: pain (including pain on repeated | 
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| 54 | ;;        use); fatigue; weakness; lack of endurance; and incoordination. | 
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| 55 | ;;    4.  Describe objective evidence of painful motion, edema, | 
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| 56 | ;;        effusion, instability, weakness, tenderness, redness, heat, | 
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| 57 | ;;        abnormal movement, guarding of movement, etc. | 
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| 58 | ;;    5.  For weight bearing joints (hip, knee, ankle), describe gait | 
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| 59 | ;;        and functional limitations on standing and walking.  Describe | 
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| 60 | ;;        any callosities, breakdown, or unusual shoe wear pattern that | 
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| 61 | ;;        would indicate abnormal weight bearing. | 
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| 62 | ;;    6.  If ankylosis is present, describe the position of the bones of | 
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| 63 | ;;        the joint in relationship to one another (in degrees of flexion, | 
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| 64 | ;;        external rotation, etc.), and state whether the ankylosis is | 
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| 65 | ;;        stable and pain free. | 
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| 66 | ;;    7.  If indicated, measure the leg length from the anterior | 
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| 67 | ;;        superior iliac spine to the medial malleolus. | 
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| 68 | ;;    8.  For INFLAMMATORY ARTHRITIS, describe any constitutional signs. | 
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| 69 | ;;    9.  Describe range of motion with prosthesis in same detail as | 
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| 70 | ;;        described above for non-prosthetic joints. | 
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| 71 | ;; | 
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| 72 | ;; | 
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| 73 | ;;D. Normal Range of Motion:  All joint Range of Motion measurements | 
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| 74 | ;;must be made using a goniometer.  Show each measured range of motion | 
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| 75 | ;;separately rather than as a continuum.  For example, if the veteran | 
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| 76 | ;;lacks 10 degrees of full knee extension and has normal flexion, show | 
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| 77 | ;;the range of motion as extension to minus 10 degrees (or lacks 10 | 
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| 78 | ;;degrees of extension) and flexion 0 to 140 degrees. | 
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| 79 | ;; | 
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| 80 | ;;    1. Hip range of motion:  (Movement of femur as it rotates in the | 
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| 81 | ;;        acetabulum.) | 
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| 82 | ;; | 
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| 83 | ;;            a. Normal range of motion, using the anatomical | 
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| 84 | ;;            position as zero degrees. | 
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| 85 | ;; | 
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| 86 | ;;            Flexion = 0 to 125 degrees (To gain a true picture of hip | 
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| 87 | ;;            flexion, i.e., movement between the pelvis and femur in | 
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| 88 | ;;            the hip joint, the opposite thigh should be extended to | 
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| 89 | ;;            minimize motion between the pelvis and spine.) | 
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| 90 | ;; | 
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| 91 | ;;            Extension = 0 to 30 degrees. | 
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| 92 | ;; | 
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| 93 | ;;            Adduction = 0 to 25 degrees. | 
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| 94 | ;; | 
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| 95 | ;;            Abduction = 0 to 45 degrees. | 
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| 96 | ;; | 
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| 97 | ;;            External rotation = 0 to 60 degrees. | 
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| 98 | ;; | 
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| 99 | ;;            Internal rotation = 0 to 40 degrees. | 
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| 100 | ;; | 
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| 101 | ;; | 
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| 102 | ;;    2. Knee range of motion: | 
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| 103 | ;; | 
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| 104 | ;;            a. Normal range of motion, using the anatomical | 
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| 105 | ;;            position as zero degrees. | 
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| 106 | ;; | 
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| 107 | ;;            Flexion = 0 to 140 degrees. | 
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| 108 | ;; | 
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| 109 | ;;            Extension - zero degrees = full extension.  Show loss of | 
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| 110 | ;;            extension by describing the degrees in which extension is | 
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| 111 | ;;            not possible.  (e.g., Show range of motion as extension to | 
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| 112 | ;;            minus 10 degrees and flexion 0 to 140 degrees when full | 
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| 113 | ;;            extension is limited by 10 degrees and full flexion is | 
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| 114 | ;;            possible.) | 
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| 115 | ;; | 
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| 116 | ;;            b.  Stability. | 
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| 117 | ;; | 
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| 118 | ;;            Medial and Lateral Collateral Ligaments: | 
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| 119 | ;;            Varus/valgus in neutral and in 30 degrees of flexion - | 
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| 120 | ;;            normal is no motion. | 
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| 121 | ;; | 
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| 122 | ;;            Anterior and Posterior Cruciate Ligaments: | 
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| 123 | ;;            Anterior/posterior in 30 degrees of flexion with | 
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| 124 | ;;            foot stabilized - normal is less than 5 mm. of motion | 
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| 125 | ;;            (1/4 inch - Lachman's test) or in 90 degrees of flexion | 
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| 126 | ;;            with foot stabilized - normal is less than 5mm. of motion | 
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| 127 | ;;            (1/4 inch - anterior and posterior drawer test). | 
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| 128 | ;; | 
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| 129 | ;;            Medial and Lateral Meniscus:  Perform McMurray's test. | 
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| 130 | ;; | 
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| 131 | ;; | 
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| 132 | ;;    3. Ankle range of motion: | 
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| 133 | ;; | 
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| 134 | ;;            a.  Neutral position is with foot at 90 degrees to | 
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| 135 | ;;                ankle.  From that position, dorsiflexion is 0 to 20 | 
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| 136 | ;;                degrees; plantar flexion is 0 to 45 degrees. | 
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| 137 | ;;            b.  Describe any varus or valgus angulation of the | 
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| 138 | ;;                os calcis in relationship to the long axis of the | 
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| 139 | ;;                tibia and fibula. | 
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| 140 | ;; | 
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| 141 | ;; | 
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| 142 | ;;    4. Shoulder, elbow, forearm, and wrist range of motion: | 
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| 143 | ;; | 
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| 144 | ;;          a. Normal range of motion is measured with zero degrees the | 
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| 145 | ;;          anatomical position except for 2 situations: | 
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| 146 | ;; | 
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| 147 | ;;               i. Supination and pronation of the | 
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| 148 | ;;                  forearm is measured with the arm | 
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| 149 | ;;                  against the body, the elbow | 
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| 150 | ;;                  flexed to 90 degrees, and the | 
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| 151 | ;;                  forearm in mid position (zero | 
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| 152 | ;;                  degrees) between supination and | 
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| 153 | ;;                  pronation. | 
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| 154 | ;;              ii. Shoulder rotation is measured | 
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| 155 | ;;                  with the arm abducted to 90 | 
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| 156 | ;;                  degrees, the elbow flexed to 90 | 
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| 157 | ;;                  degrees, and the forearm | 
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| 158 | ;;                  reflecting the midpoint (zero | 
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| 159 | ;;                  degrees) between internal and | 
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| 160 | ;;                  external rotation of the shoulder. | 
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| 161 | ;; | 
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| 162 | ;;          b.  Shoulder forward flexion = zero to 180 | 
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| 163 | ;;              degrees. | 
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| 164 | ;;          c.  Shoulder abduction = zero to 180 degrees. | 
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| 165 | ;;          d.  Shoulder external rotation = zero to 90 | 
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| 166 | ;;              degrees. | 
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| 167 | ;;          e.  Shoulder internal rotation = zero to 90 | 
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| 168 | ;;              degrees. | 
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| 169 | ;;          f.  Elbow flexion = zero to 145 degrees. | 
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| 170 | ;;          g.  Forearm supination = zero to 85 degrees. | 
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| 171 | ;;          h.  Forearm pronation = zero to 80 degrees. | 
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| 172 | ;;          i.  Wrist dorsiflexion (extension) = zero to 70 | 
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| 173 | ;;              degrees. | 
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| 174 | ;;          j.  Wrist palmar flexion = zero to 80 degrees. | 
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| 175 | ;;          k.  Wrist radial deviation = zero to 20 degrees. | 
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| 176 | ;;          l.  Wrist ulnar deviation = zero to 45 degrees. | 
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| 177 | ;; | 
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| 178 | ;; | 
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| 179 | ;;E.  Diagnostic and Clinical Tests: | 
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| 180 | ;; | 
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| 181 | ;;    1.  As indicated:  X-rays, including special views or weight | 
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| 182 | ;;        bearing films, MRI, arthrogram, diagnostic arthroscopy. | 
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| 183 | ;;        NOTE:  The diagnosis of degenerative arthritis or post- | 
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| 184 | ;;        traumatic arthritis of a joint requires X-ray confirmation.  Once | 
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| 185 | ;;        the diagnosis has been confirmed in a joint, further X-rays of | 
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| 186 | ;;        that joint are not required. | 
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| 187 | ;;    2.  Include results of all diagnostic and clinical tests in the | 
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| 188 | ;;        examination report. | 
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| 189 | ;; | 
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| 190 | ;; | 
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| 191 | ;;F.  Diagnosis: | 
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| 192 | ;; | 
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| 193 | ;; | 
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| 194 | ;;G.  Additional Limitation of Joint Function: | 
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| 195 | ;; | 
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| 196 | ;;    Impairment of joint function is determined by actual range of joint | 
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| 197 | ;;    motion as reported in the physical examination and additional limitation | 
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| 198 | ;;    of joint function caused by the following factors: | 
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| 199 | ;; | 
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| 200 | ;;       - Pain, including pain on repeated use and pain during flare-ups | 
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| 201 | ;;       - Fatigue | 
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| 202 | ;;       - Weakness | 
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| 203 | ;;       - Lack of endurance | 
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| 204 | ;;       - Incoordination | 
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| 205 | ;; | 
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| 206 | ;;    1.  Do any of the above factors additionally limit joint function? | 
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| 207 | ;;    If so, express the additional limitation in degrees. | 
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| 208 | ;; | 
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| 209 | ;;    2.  Indicate if you cannot determine, without resort to mere | 
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| 210 | ;;    speculation, whether any of these factors cause additional functional | 
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| 211 | ;;    loss.  For example, indicate if you would need to resort to mere | 
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| 212 | ;;    speculation in order to express additional limitation due to | 
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| 213 | ;;    flare-ups. | 
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| 214 | ;; | 
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| 215 | ;; | 
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| 216 | ;; | 
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| 217 | ;;Signature:                             Date: | 
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| 218 | ;;END | 
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