Chest excursion measurements are commonly used to assess the effect of disease on chest wall motion. The purpose of this study was to determine if site of tape measure placement and subject position affect chest excursion measurements. Data were collected on sixty healthy participants between the ages of 19-34. Chest girth measurements were obtained during two slow vital capacity maneuvers (VCMs) in three positions (supine, sitting, standing) and at two measurement site (xiphoid, axilla). Chest excursion differed with measurement site, but no main effects of gender or position on chest excursion were found. A significant interaction between measurement site and subject position was found. Chest excursion measurements taken in the standing position at the xiphoid site ( = 7.9 cm) were greater than those at the axillary site (x = 6.8 cm). Chest excursion measurements taken at the xiphoid site in standing (x = 7.9 cm) were greater than in supine (x= 7.2 cm). This study demonstrates that measurement site and subject position influence chest excursion values. Clinical recommendations based on these results include the use of two measurement sites for a thorough evaluation of pulmonary status, the establishment and use of a consistent measurement site and subject position for each patient, and proper documentation of these variables throughout the treatment process.Normal chest wall mobility is important for efficient lung expansion and subsequent ventilation. Chest wall mobility is often evaluated by measuring chest excursion, which is defined as the difference between chest girth measurements taken at maximal inhalation and maximal exhalation. These measurements are used to assess the effect that restrictive pulmonary diseases, such as ankylosing spondylitis, idiopathic scoliosis, muscular dystrophy, spinal cord injuries, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, have on chest wall range of motion. (1-15) In addition, chest excursion can be used as an indicator of respiratory muscle function (recruitment and/or strength) in patients with neuromuscu-
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