End-feel assessment in ROM testing helps determine what?

• A. Nerve conduction velocity.
• B. Lung capacity.
• C. Tissue quality and joint restrictions.
• D. Color of the skin.

Answer: (C)

End-feel assessment in ROM testing reveals the nature of resistance you feel as a joint reaches the end of its motion, giving clues about tissue quality and joint restrictions. The end-feel helps distinguish why movement is limited—whether soft tissues like muscles and ligaments are tight, the joint capsule is restrictive, or there is a hard bony block. Different end-feels point to different issues: a soft end-feel suggests soft tissue compression or edema; a firm end-feel points to capsular or muscular tension; a hard end-feel indicates a bony block; a springy end-feel can imply cartilage or intra-articular pathology. This information is distinct from tests of nerve conduction, lung capacity, or skin color, which assess other systems.