Overview
Range of motion (ROM) of the spine is generally measured using dual inclinometers. The Guides goes to great lengths explaining the usage and placement of inclinometers when measuring the spine. As such, ImpairMaster's spinal ROM forms allow you to enter the readings from both inclinometers; ImpairMaster will determine the actual motion degrees by subtracting the lower place inclinometer from the upper one. For example, for lumbar left lateral bending, if the T12 inclinometer (topmost inclinometer) measured 30 degrees and the S1 inclinometer (lower inclinometer) measured 10 degrees, ImpairMaster will determine the actual range of motion to be 30° - 10° = 20°.
Some digital inclinometers do the calculation for you and provide the single motion value of 20°. You can tell ImpairMaster to turn off the dual inclinometer input fields and use single measurement field instead:
It's important to note, however, that lumbar flexion is an exception and always requires dual inclinometer inputs, even when you've turned them off. This is because the impairment value is dependent on knowing the sacral (hip) flexion angle. Notice in Table 15-8 below, the impairment category is based on the sacral flexion angle:
Turning Off Dual Inclinometers
The switch for turning off dual inclinometers is found in the Exam Properties page. When you create a new exam or when you modify an exam's properties, you can find the switch towards the bottom of the window.
Click the switch to turn off Dual Inclinometers. ImpairMaster will remember your selection for the next exam you create so you don't have to change it each time.
As a final note, use caution when changing this switch on existing exams that already have dual inclinometer values recorded in the spinal ROM forms. If you need to change an existing exam that has dual inclinometer values already in the fields, you should clear them first before turning off the dual inclinometer mode.