Definition - What does Goniometer mean?
Goniometer comes from the Greek words gonna, meaning angle, and metron, meaning measure. A goniometer is an instrument used to measure angles. Healthcare professionals use a goniometer to measure the range of motion of a joint in the body. Different types include finger goniometers, bubble goniometers, gravity goniometers, and recording electrogoniometers. They are typically made of plastic, but can be made of metal in some cases.
SureHire explains Goniometer
A goniometer can measure active and passive range of motion. This can be helpful in fit for work testing, workspace design, and other health assessments. It is often used to measure range of motion before a treatment program and again after the program is complete to analyze how much improvement has been made.
The traditional goniometer can be used to measure flexion, extension, abduction, adduction and rotation in the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, and ankle. It is made up of a circular body similar to a protractor with a scale from 0 to 180 or 0 to 360 degrees, and two arms. The center of the body is placed over the joint being measured and the arms are moved until they line up with the bones articulating at that joint.
