Elbow range of motion and clinical carrying angle in a healthy pediatric population.

Many conditions including trauma can affect the range of motion and carrying angle of the elbow in children. The method employed was cross-sectional clinical measurement of 600 elbows (300 patients) range of motion and carrying angle in normal children. We found significant increases in range of motion and carrying angle with age (P<0.01) and significantly increased range of motion and carrying angle in females as compared with males (P<0.01). In conclusion, elbow joint range of motion and carrying angle increase with age. This is the first cross-sectional analysis of range of motion and carrying angle to our knowledge in the pediatric population. Increased elbow extension may contribute to the increased carrying angle seen in females compared with males.