In TOTAPS, which step involves the athlete performing safe, active movement to assess range of motion?

• A. Talk
• B. Observe
• C. Active movement
• D. Skills test

Answer: (C)

Active Movement is the part of TOTAPS where the athlete moves the joint using their own muscles to test how it functions and what range of motion they have. This step specifically checks ROM by having the athlete perform movements themselves, usually within pain-free limits, to see how the joint performs with active use and where pain or restrictions occur. It’s done before any examiner-assisted movement to gauge the athlete’s own control and movement capacity.

Other steps serve different purposes: Talk gathers what happened and how the athlete feels; Observe looks for visible signs like swelling or deformity; Touch involves palpation to locate tenderness; Skills test checks how the athlete performs sport-specific tasks. The key idea here is that active movement relies on the athlete’s own muscle action to assess ROM.