---
name: orthopedic-assessment
description: Use when asked to administer, score, or explain an Orthopaedic Assessment — musculoskeletal evaluation using the DASH questionnaire — grounded in FormExamples/form-examples.
---

# Orthopaedic Assessment

Musculoskeletal evaluation using the DASH (Disabilities of the Arm,
Shoulder and Hand) questionnaire, with range of motion and functional
assessment.

## Scoring

**Instrument:** DASH Score. Range 0–100 (0 = no disability, 100 = most
severe disability).

## What it covers

Demographics; chief complaint; pain assessment; the DASH questionnaire;
range of motion; strength testing; functional limitations; imaging
history; current treatment; and surgical history.

## Common pitfalls

- **Treating DASH as specific to one joint** — it measures upper-limb
  disability broadly (arm, shoulder, and hand together), so a high score
  doesn't localize which specific joint or structure is responsible;
  the range-of-motion and strength-testing sections are what localize
  the problem.
- **Comparing DASH scores across unrelated conditions without
  context** — the same score can reflect very different underlying
  pathology; DASH tracks *disability*, not diagnosis.
- **Skipping imaging history when planning further workup** — prior
  imaging findings materially change what further investigation is
  actually needed; omitting this section risks duplicate or
  unnecessarily invasive testing.

## Learn more

- [FormExamples: orthopedic-assessment](https://github.com/FormExamples/form-examples/tree/main/forms/orthopedic-assessment) for the full implementation, clinical references, and worked examples.
- [[sports-medicine-assessment]] for a related musculoskeletal assessment.