How to assess muscle elbow strength
Previous TopicAssess function at the elbow
- Ask the person to put their hand to their mouth.
- Ask the person to lift themselves up by pushing down on the armrests of a chair or the chair itself
If the person has signs of reduced muscle strength while performing this movement, assess all individual shoulder movements on both sides using the MRC muscle power test.
Assess function at the elbow by asking person to move their hand to their mouth
Read on to learn how to assess strength of individual movements at the elbow.
How to assess elbow flexion strength
Positioning of person:
- For grade 0-2 (gravity eliminated): person in supine
- For grade 3-5: person seated, palm facing upwards
Clinician positioning and handling:
For grade 0-2: test side should be on top of body, to test the opposite side, ask or assist the person to roll over to the other side. Support the arm above the elbow and at the wrist
For grade 3-5: stand on test side of person in seated position, provide resistance on top of the forearm, while supporting the elbow
Instructions for person:
- ‘Bring your hand up to your shoulder by bending your elbow’
Watch these videos to learn how to assess elbow flexion strength.
Assess elbow flexion strength grade 0-2
Assess elbow flexion strength grade 3-5
How to assess elbow extension strength
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For grade 0-2 (gravity eliminated): person in seated -
For grade 3-5: person in prone, shoulder in 90 degrees of abduction, with forearm hanging over edge of bed (note: if strength is greater than 3/5, person can be assessed in a seated position
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For grade 0-2: test side should be on top of body, to test the opposite side, ask or assist the person to roll over to the other side. Support the arm above the elbow and at the wrist -
For grade 3: stand on test side of person, move around the other side of the bed to test opposite side -
For grade 4-5: stand on test side of person in seated position, provide resistance below the forearm, while supporting the elbow
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‘Please straighten your elbow’
Watch these videos to learn how to assess elbow extension strength:
Assess elbow extension strength grade 0-2
Assess elbow extension strength grade 3
Activity
Practice performing each of the muscle strength assessments with a colleague for:
- Elbow flexion
- Elbow extension
Practice assessing in gravity eliminated and against gravity positions.
Time: 10 minutes
Post any questions on the discussion forum.
Congratulations, you have now learnt how to assess muscle strength for the elbow. Learning how to properly assess muscle strength for each movement will take time so we encourage you to practice assessing each movement in your own time as well as in this module.
