How to Measure Height of Bedridden Adults

June 25, 2024 Julieth Quiceno

Measuring the height of recumbent people due to illness or disability is very necessary to provide physical and nutritional monitoring. Here you can learn about the ways of height measurement and the necessary equipment.

Instruments and Methods of Measurement of Recumbent Patients

	Multifunctional portable stadiometer: To measure standing and lying people, detachable. To use it, the person must be in a position and on a totally straight surface. Brand: AvaNutri
	Portable infantometer: To measure the height of babies and children; depending on its rank, it can be used up to two years. 22w

There are other situations where other methods or different equipment must be used to measure height:

If the person is sitting in a wheelchair.
If the person cannot stretch the whole body well.
If no suitable equipment is available.

In these cases, the length of a bone or limb can be measured to estimate the total height with a segmometer:

Estimating Height with a Segmometer

A segmometer is used to measure body segments such as forearm, ulna, tibia lengths, wingspan, and knee height, which have been used to predict height in children with disabilities and estimate the height of people who cannot stand up.

When taking measurements, it should always be done to the right side of the person to be measured.

Measure Forearm Length

Forearm length is measured by placing the tip of the segmometer at the end of the middle finger and stretching the segmometer to the tip of the olecranon (elbow bone). The person must flex the arm at a 90 ° angle for measurement.
The ulna length is performed the same way but is measured from the exterior styloid process (protruding bone of the wrist) to the olecranon.
Measure Wingspan or Demi-Span

The wingspan is the total length of the two arms stretched out from the two ends of the middle fingers, the arms at a 90 ° angle to the torso.
The demi-span is measured from the middle of the trunk, placing the tip of the segmometer in the middle of the two sternoclavicular limbs (half of the two prominent bones at the base of the neck) to the end of the middle finger.
The patient can stand, sit, or lie down, with the palms facing forward.
Measure Knee or Leg Height

Knee height is measured by placing the tip of the segmometer under the heel and elongating the segmometer to the top of the kneecap. The person can be sitting or lying down with the knee flexed at a 90 ° angle.
The tibia length is equal to the height of the knee, but is measured from the tip of the medial malleolus (prominent inner bone of the ankle) to the medial condyle of the tibia (palpable bone on the inside of the leg, under the ball joint).