Holsman Physical Therapy & Wellness P.C.
Clinician Reference
Holsman Physical Therapy & Wellness · Clinics across North Jersey, the Bronx & Brooklyn + in-home therapy
holsmanwellness.com · 1-855-465-7626
📍 724 Ridge Road, Lyndhurst, NJ 📞 1-855-465-7626 ⏰ Mon–Fri: 8 AM – 6 PM
Facebook Instagram X/Twitter
Home› Physical Therapy› Free Self-Checks› ROM Norms› Wrist & Hand

Wrist & Hand ROM Norms

Reference values for the wrist, finger MCP and thumb, and how to measure each motion.

Reviewed by Dr. Richard Holsman, PT, DPT, NCS · Last reviewed November 13, 2026 · For clinician education

⚠️ For clinicians

This page is a measurement reference for physical therapists, occupational therapists, students and other clinicians. Patients with joint pain or stiffness should be examined by a licensed clinician.

Wrist & Hand range of motion values from the CDC Normal Joint Range of Motion Study (where it measured this joint), the most-quoted reference values, and our clinicians’ goniometry steps for each motion. All values are in degrees.

On this page

Reference values at a glance

MotionAAOS reference valueVA rating schedule
Wrist flexion80°[1]80°[2]
Wrist extension70°[1]70°[2]
Radial deviation20°[1]20°[2]
Ulnar deviation30°[1]45°[2]
Finger MCP flexion90°[1]—
Finger MCP extension45°[1]—
Thumb MCP flexion50°[3]—
Thumb IP flexion80°[3]—

The CDC study did not measure the wrist or hand, so this page has no age- and sex-specific norms. We left out finger PIP and DIP and thumb CMC values because the sources we could check either did not list an AAOS value or marked it as coming from elsewhere. For the fingers and thumb, the VA asks examiners to record how close the fingertips come to the palm crease and the thumb tip to the fingers, in centimeters.

AAOS and VA numbers are single reference values, not averages. A dash means we could not verify a value from a source we could check, so we left it out.

Goniometry guide[4]

Our clinicians’ step-by-step method for each motion. Use the same position, landmarks and instrument every time you retest.

Wrist flexion

Patient position
Sitting, forearm resting on a table in pronation, hand off the edge, fingers relaxed.
Stabilize
Hold the distal forearm.
Axis (fulcrum)
Lateral wrist over the triquetrum.
Stationary arm
Lateral midline of the ulna toward the olecranon.
Moving arm
Lateral midline of the fifth metacarpal.
Watch for
Fingers curling into a fist (extensor tension cuts wrist flexion short), radial or ulnar deviation, forearm rotation.
Typical end-feel
Firm.

Wrist extension

Patient position
Same as flexion; let the fingers relax into flexion.
Stabilize
Hold the distal forearm.
Axis (fulcrum)
Lateral wrist over the triquetrum.
Stationary arm
Lateral midline of the ulna toward the olecranon.
Moving arm
Lateral midline of the fifth metacarpal.
Watch for
Extended fingers (flexor tension limits motion), deviation, lifting the forearm.
Typical end-feel
Firm; sometimes hard.

Radial deviation

Patient position
Sitting, forearm pronated, palm flat on the table, wrist neutral.
Stabilize
Hold the distal forearm so it doesn’t slide or rotate.
Axis (fulcrum)
Dorsal wrist over the capitate.
Stationary arm
Dorsal midline of the forearm toward the lateral epicondyle.
Moving arm
Dorsal midline of the third metacarpal.
Watch for
Wrist flexion or extension, fingers fanning toward the thumb side.
Typical end-feel
Hard (scaphoid against the radial styloid) or firm.

Ulnar deviation

Patient position
Same as radial deviation.
Stabilize
Hold the distal forearm.
Axis (fulcrum)
Dorsal wrist over the capitate.
Stationary arm
Dorsal midline of the forearm toward the lateral epicondyle.
Moving arm
Dorsal midline of the third metacarpal.
Watch for
Wrist flexion or extension, aligning with the little finger instead of the third metacarpal.
Typical end-feel
Firm.

Finger MCP flexion and extension

Patient position
Sitting, forearm and wrist in neutral, forearm supported.
Stabilize
Hold the metacarpal; keep the wrist neutral so tendon tension doesn’t change the reading.
Axis (fulcrum)
Dorsal aspect of the MCP joint (flexion); palmar or dorsal-lateral aspect (extension).
Stationary arm
Along the metacarpal.
Moving arm
Along the proximal phalanx.
Watch for
Wrist moving, the IP joints changing position, goniometer arms lifting off swollen joints.
Typical end-feel
Hard or firm (flexion); firm (extension).

Thumb MCP and IP flexion

Patient position
Sitting, forearm and wrist neutral, hand resting on its ulnar border.
Stabilize
Hold the first metacarpal (MCP) or proximal phalanx (IP).
Axis (fulcrum)
Dorsal aspect of the joint being measured.
Stationary arm
Along the bone proximal to the joint.
Moving arm
Along the bone distal to the joint.
Watch for
CMC motion creeping in, the thumb rotating out of plane.
Typical end-feel
Hard or firm.

Measurement notes

  • Active or passive: say which you measured. The CDC values are passive.
  • Record the method: position, instrument and anything that changed (pain, guarding, a different start position) so the next measurement is comparable.

Other joints

Sources, review and disclosures

Graded citations

How we grade sources. A = population study of healthy people with published methods (CDC). B = widely used consensus reference values, as reported in a textbook or peer-reviewed paper; these are single “normal” numbers, not measured averages. C = U.S. government rating standard written for disability evaluation, not as clinical norms. D = expert clinical opinion.

  1. Grade B Norkin CC, White DJ. Measurement of Joint Motion: A Guide to Goniometry. 5th ed. F.A. Davis; 2016. Appendix A, Tables A.1 and A.3 (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons [AAOS] column). Individual values cited; the table is not reproduced. fadavispt.mhmedical.com
  2. Grade C U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Schedule for Rating Disabilities, 38 CFR §4.71, Measurement of ankylosis and joint motion, Plates I and II. ecfr.gov (38 CFR 4.71)
  3. Grade B Botman M, Hendriks TCC, de Haas LEM, et al. The effectiveness of burn scar contracture release surgery in low- and middle-income countries. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2020;8(7):e2907. Supplementary Digital Content 1, “Normal ROM values according to AAOS.” Individual values cited; values the authors mark as not from AAOS are not used. cdn-links.lww.com (SDC 1 PDF)
  4. Grade D Holsman Physical Therapy clinical guidance. Goniometry steps, common errors and end-feels written in our own words by Holsman physical therapists and reviewed by Dr. Richard Holsman, PT, DPT, NCS. Expert opinion, not a research source.

Reviewer

Reviewed by Dr. Richard Holsman, PT, DPT, NCS (Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Neurologic Physical Therapy), founder of Holsman Physical Therapy. Last reviewed: November 13, 2026.

Change log

  • November 13, 2026: Page published. All CDC values checked against the CDC page and Soucie et al. (2011); reference values checked against the cited sources.

Review policy

We re-check every number on this page against its source at least once a year, and sooner if a source is updated or a reader reports a problem. Changes are listed in the change log with the date. To report an error, contact us.

Licensing

Source: CDC. The CDC normative values are a U.S. government work in the public domain (CDC Stacks marks the study’s data documents “Public Domain”), used under CDC’s Use of Agency Materials terms. The values are shown as published, and the original material is available on CDC’s website at no charge. Our use of CDC material and links to CDC do not imply endorsement by CDC, HHS or the U.S. Government. The VA values come from a federal regulation (38 CFR), also public domain. AAOS values are cited as individual numbers with credit to the publication that reports them; no table layout or text is copied. The goniometry guide is original text by Holsman Physical Therapy.

Conflict of interest and advertising

This page is published by Holsman Physical Therapy and Wellness, P.C., which runs outpatient and in-home therapy practices; that is our only commercial interest. The page carries no advertising, no sponsorship and no affiliate links, and we received no payment from any source for it. We do not sell goniometers or apps. Holsman Physical Therapy is not affiliated with the CDC, the VA, the AAOS, or the authors and publishers cited, and they do not endorse this website.

For clinician education. Norms vary; interpret with clinical judgment. Range of motion differs with age, sex, body type, activity, measurement position, instrument, and whether motion is active or passive. A value outside a reference range is not a diagnosis. Compare with the uninvolved side, retest with the same method, and read the number alongside the patient’s symptoms and function.

Common Questions

What is normal wrist extension and flexion?

Common reference values are 70 degrees of extension and 80 degrees of flexion (AAOS, as reported by Norkin and White). The VA rating schedule uses the same two numbers.

Why is there no CDC chart for the wrist?

The CDC Normal Joint Range of Motion Study measured only the shoulder, elbow, hip, knee and ankle, so there are no CDC age and sex norms for the wrist or hand.

Referring a Patient?

Holsman physical therapists see patients at clinics across North Jersey, the Bronx and Brooklyn, plus in-home visits.

📞 Call 1-855-465-7626
Printed from holsmanwellness.com/tools/range-of-motion-norms/wrist-hand/ · Holsman Physical Therapy & Wellness · Call 1-855-465-7626 to schedule physical therapy · Clinician reference, not a diagnosis.