Criteria: Figure 16-33 Pie Chart of Upper Extremity Motion Impairments Due to Lack of Flexion and Extension of Elbow Joint (474), Figure 16-37 Pie Chart of Upper Extremity Motion Impairments Due to Lack of Pronation and Supination (474), Table 16-3 (439).
Guidance: Soft tissue injuries of the elbow typically do not result in ratable impairment. Most often elbow impairments are rated on the basis of motion deficits, as explained in Section 16.4 h Elbow Motion Impairment (470-474). Measurements of motion for flexion, extension, pronation and supination are obtained bilaterally. Figure 16-33 Pie Chart of Upper Extremity Motion Impairments Due to Lack of Flexion and Extension of Elbow Joint (474) and Figure 16-37 Pie Chart of Upper Extremity Motion Impairments Due to Lack of Pronation and Supination (474) specify the impairments associated with motion deficits. Impairment values are added and then converted to whole person using Table 16-3. Relationship of Impairment of the Upper Extremity to Impairment of the Whole Person (439). If the opposite extremity is normal it may be used as the baseline. In rare cases strength loss for the elbow is rated per Section 16.8 Strength Evaluation (507-511), as further described in Section 16.8c Manual Muscle Testing (509-511). This is rated only in the absence of motion deficits. According to Table 16-35 Impairment of the Upper Extremity Due to Strength Deficit from Musculoskeletal Disorders Based on Manual Muscle Testing of Individual Units of Motion of the Shoulder and Elbow (510). Section 16.7 Impairment of the Upper Extremities Due to Other Disorders (498-507) presents approaches to assessing less common upper extremity difficulties; instructions are provided in Section 16.7 to avoid duplication of impairments.
