Chest Wall Expansion Values in Supine and Standing Across the Adult Lifespan

Abstract

PURPOSE: Chest expansion measurements are used to assess a patient's baseline status, treatment effectiveness, and progression of disease with regards to chest wall mobility and respiratory muscle function. The purpose of this study was to describe values for upper and lower chest wall expansion in subjects without impairment.SUBJECTS: This study included men and women (n = 120) without impairment ages of 20–70+ years.METHODS: We measured chest expansion, the difference in maximal and minimal chest girth, during vital capacity breaths. For each subject, we measured chest expansion in two positions (supine, standing) and at two sites (axilla, xiphoid).ANALYSIS: We used descriptive statistics and linear regression analysis to describe chest expansion values based on age, measurement site, and subject position.RESULTS: Values for subjects age 20–29 years were 5.1 ± 6.2 cm, whereas chest expansion values for subjects age 70 + years were only 2.5 ± 2.9 cm. We found significant linear regressions between age and chest expansion for each measurement site and subject position.CONCLUSION: Use of chest expansion measurements to determine a diagnosis of disease or impairment is not recommended in patients over 65 years of age. Chest expansion measurements may be useful as an indicator of change in impairment level in specific patient populations.