Shoulder Special Test Flashcards
how is a drop arm (Codman’s) Test performed?
- PT passively places patient shoulder in 90° abduction
- PT ask them to slowly lower arm to their side
- (+) if patient can not return arm to their side with control or sever pain
What is drop arm (conman’s) test indicating?
Muscular
tear in RC complex
How is Empty Can/Full Can (Jobe’s) Test performed?
- Patient arms are abducted to 90° in neutral rotation
- PT then internally rotates & adducts arms to 30°
- PT applies resistance on distal humerus
- (+) weakness or pain indicating a tear of the Supraspinatus tendon/muscle
How is the External Rotation Lag sign performed?
- Patient flexes to 90° & then 20° elevation into scapular plane
- PT passively ER shoulder to near end range
- PT asks patient to hold this position
- (+) patient fails to maintain ER near end range
- Indicated supraspinatus and/or infraspinatus tear
How is the Infraspinatus Test/ ER Resistance performed?
- Patient has elbow flexed to 90°
- PT ask patient to external rotate
- PT resists ER shoulder at the forearm
- (+) weakness or pain
- Indicated infraspinatus tear
How is the Lift Off/Internal Rotation Lag sign performed?
- Patient places back of hand on their lower back
- PT lifts hand way from lower back and asks them to maintain this position
- (+) inability to maintain position indicative of subscapularis tear
How is the Belly Press Test performed?
- PT places hand on patients abdomen
-Patient placed hand on PT hand
-Patient elbow needs to be flexed to 90° & pushed their hand as hard as they can into examiner hand - Patient attempts to bring elbow forward while maintaining pressure over PT hand
- (+) elbow drops behind body into extension of shoulder or lighten up of pressure
-Indicated subscapularis teat
How is the bear hug test performed?
- Patient sitting arm crossed over chest with hand on opposite shoulder
- PT attempts to pull hand away from shoulder
- (+) patient unable to maintain hand on shoulder
- Indicates tear of subscapularis
How is Speed’s Test performed?
- Patient stands and flexes shoulder to 90° with forearm supinated
- PT pushes the patient’s arm into extension at the distal humerus
- Tell the patient to slow you down
- (+) concordant sign reproduced in bicipital groove
How is ludington’s test performed?
- patient seated or supine clasping both hands on the top of the head
- PT palpated biceps tendon & instructs the patient to alternatively contract & relax the bicep muscle
- (+) absence of contraction on the involved side
- Indicates torn long head of biceps
How is the Hawkins-Kennedy Test performed?
-Patient seated
-PT flexes shoulder to 90° then IR arm to make it parallel with chest
- (+) pain reproduction
- Indicative of external impingement as MOI
How is the scapular assistance test performed?
- Assistance provided to scapula during UE elevation
- (+) decrease in pain during arc of motion
How is scapular retraction test performed?
- Stabilization provided to scapula during UE elevation
- (+) decrease in pain and/or increased force output during motion
How is GH apprehension test performed?
- Patient supine
- PT positions patient UE into 90° abduction then maximally ER shoulder
- PT then applies P-A directed force on humeral head (if the first step did not cause apprehension)
-(+) apprehension patient or report of pain
How is the posterior apprehension test performed?
- Patient positioned in supine
- PT flex UE to shoulder height
- PT applies posterior directed force on patient elbow then horizontally adducts and IR the arm
-(+) apprehension by patient or reproduction of concordant sign
