MJ Brown PT Labs — Lab 2: Assessment & Measurement
Name: __________ | Period: ___ | Final Score: ___
// PT LAB 02 //
ASSESSMENT & MEASUREMENT IN PT
Before you can treat, you have to measure. This lab walks you through the objective tools physical therapists use to gather data — goniometers, manual muscle testing, special tests — and the patient cases that bring those numbers to life.
~30 MINCLINICAL SKILLSGRADED
Mission Map
01
Vocabulary & Reading
Master the language of PT assessment.
02
Concept Drills
Scrambler, highlight, how/why, b-b-s.
03
Goniometer Sim
Measure joint angles like a clinician.
04
MMT Sim
Grade strength on the 0–5 scale.
05
Case Study
Post-op knee — interpret the data.
06
Data Analysis
Caseload table, graph, % improvement.
07
Battle Boss
Jeopardy-style finale. Earn the win.
08
Grade & Print
Auto-graded summary + PDF export.
Part 1 // Vocabulary
Directions: Click a card to flip it and read the definition. Cards stay open for 8 seconds, then auto-close. Only one card can be open at a time, but you can re-open cards as many times as you need. Review all 10 terms before moving on.
Matching Practice
Click a term on the left, then its definition on the right. Match all 10 to continue.
TERMS
DEFINITIONS
Part 2 // Why Measurement Matters
Physical therapy is a data-driven profession. Every treatment plan begins with a careful assessment — a structured collection of objective measurements that describe a patient's current physical state. Without those numbers, a PT has no way to prove that therapy is working, no way to know when a patient is ready for discharge, and no defense if an insurance company questions whether more visits are needed.
The assessment process typically follows three checkpoints. The first is the baseline — the very first set of measurements taken on day one. Baselines capture how restricted, weak, or painful a patient is before treatment starts. Next come reassessments, repeated every few visits to track change. If pain is decreasing, range of motion is improving, and strength is climbing, the plan is working. If numbers stall or worsen, the PT adjusts the approach. Finally, discharge criteria are pre-defined goals — for example, "knee flexion ≥ 130° and quadriceps MMT ≥ 4/5" — that determine when therapy is complete.
The PT's toolbox is surprisingly low-tech. A goniometer measures joint angles in degrees. Manual muscle testing (MMT) grades strength from 0 (no contraction) to 5 (full strength against maximum resistance). Palpation — examining with the hands — locates pain, swelling, and muscle tone. Gait analysis studies how a patient walks. Special tests like Lachman, McMurray, and Phalen's stress specific structures to confirm or rule out diagnoses. Every measurement gets documented because in healthcare, if it isn't written down, it didn't happen.
Drill 1 // Sentence Scrambler
Click the scrambled words below in the correct order to rebuild the sentence. Click a placed word to send it back.
Drill 2 // Highlight the Key Terms
Click the words in the passage that name assessment tools or measurements. Correct words turn green. You need to find 6 target words.
Drill 3 // How & Why
Answer each question in 1–3 complete sentences.
Drill 4 // Because / But / So
Complete each sentence stem in your own words. There's no single right answer — be specific and clinical.
Part 3 // Virtual Goniometer Lab
A goniometer looks like a protractor with two long arms. The stationary arm aligns with the patient's proximal segment (closer to the body's midline). The movable arm aligns with the distal segment (farther from midline). The axis sits over the joint's center of rotation. The angle between the two arms is the joint angle in degrees.
Each joint has a normal ROM. A patient's measured value is compared against the norm to flag impairments. Bilateral comparison — measuring both sides — is the gold standard because individual norms vary.
Normal ROM Reference
Study these values before starting the simulation. Every PT keeps these committed to memory. You'll compare your goniometer readings against this chart to judge whether each measurement is within normal limits or restricted.
UPPER EXTREMITY
Joint Motion
Normal ROM
Shoulder Flexion
0° – 180°
Shoulder Extension
0° – 60°
Shoulder Abduction
0° – 180°
Shoulder Int. Rotation
0° – 70°
Shoulder Ext. Rotation
0° – 90°
Elbow Flexion
0° – 150°
Wrist Flexion
0° – 80°
Wrist Extension
0° – 70°
LOWER EXTREMITY & SPINE
Joint Motion
Normal ROM
Hip Flexion
0° – 120°
Hip Extension
0° – 30°
Hip Abduction
0° – 45°
Knee Flexion
0° – 135°
Knee Extension
0°
Ankle Dorsiflexion
0° – 20°
Ankle Plantarflexion
0° – 50°
Cervical Flexion
0° – 45°
READING THE CHART: "0° – 180°" means the joint starts at neutral (0°) and the segment can move through 180° of motion. A measured value at or above the upper number = within normal limits. Below the upper number = restricted. Knee extension is the exception — its normal is exactly 0°, and a negative value (e.g., −5°) means the patient cannot fully straighten the joint (an "extension lag").
Directions: For each joint, read the angle shown on the goniometer overlay. Type that angle in the box. Use the reference chart above to choose whether the value is within normal limits or restricted. Four joints total.
Part 4 // Manual Muscle Testing
MMT grades muscle strength on a 0–5 scale:
0 – Zero: No visible or palpable contraction.
1 – Trace: Flicker of contraction, no joint movement.
2 – Poor: Full ROM with gravity eliminated (limb supported on a flat surface).
3 – Fair: Full ROM against gravity, no manual resistance.
4 – Good: Full ROM against gravity with moderate resistance.
5 – Normal: Full ROM against gravity with maximum resistance.
Directions: Read each clinical scenario and select the correct MMT grade. Four scenarios total.
Part 5 // Case Study: Post-Op Knee
Patient: Marcus T., 19 y/o male
MRN# 4471-K
History: Marcus is a college soccer player who underwent ACL reconstruction on his right knee 6 weeks ago. He's been in PT 2x/week. Today's reassessment.
Subjective: "My knee still feels tight. I can almost straighten it all the way. Stairs are okay going up but rough coming down."
Directions: The table below shows shoulder flexion ROM for 6 of your PT caseload patients at Week 1 and Week 6. Fill in the Improvement (°) and % Change columns. Then answer the questions below. (Data table = 4 points)
Patient
Side
Week 1 (°)
Week 6 (°)
Improvement (°)
% Change
Visualization
⚡ BATTLE BOSS ⚡
Jeopardy-style finale. Click a tile, answer correctly, earn the points. Higher value = harder question.