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LITERATURE REVIEW

Clinical Tests of the Shoulder


Accuracy and Extension Using Dynamic Ultrasound
Ke-Vin Chang, MD, PhD, Wei-Ting Wu, MD, Po-Cheng Hsu, MD, Henry L. Lew, MD, PhD, and Levent Özçakar, MD

Abstract: Shoulder pain is a common musculoskeletal disorder that Several shoulder examinations have been developed to examine
has a significant impact on the patient’s quality of life and functional shoulder problems and scrutinize specific lesions as well as their
health. Because the shoulder joint is a complex structure, the relevant diagnostic accuracy varies.3 Familiarization with the perfor-
symptoms of shoulder pain may not directly reflect the underlying pa- mance of those physical tests and their strength and limitation
thology. Hence, several shoulder tests have been developed to examine would be of paramount importance for physicians dealing with
shoulder problems, and their diagnostic accuracy varies. Familiariza- shoulder disorders. Therefore, the present narrative review fo-
tion with the performance of those physical tests and their strength cuses on the commonly used shoulder physical tests and their
and limitation are of utmost importance for physicians dealing with diagnostic performance on several pathologies. Moreover, this
shoulder disorders. Therefore, the present narrative review focuses article discusses how dynamic ultrasound (US) imaging can
on summarizing the most commonly used tests in physical examina- serve as an extension of those clinical tests.
tion and their diagnostic performance on several shoulder pathologies.
This article also discusses how ultrasound imaging can serve as an ex- ANATOMY AND COMMON PATHOLOGIES
tension of those tests. The shoulder consists of the glenohumeral, acromioclavicular,
and sternoclavicular joints. The glenohumeral joint has a ball
Key Words: Shoulder, Physical Examination, Rehabilitation, Ultrasound
(humeral head) -and-socket (glenoid fossa) configuration, con-
(Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2020;99:161–169) tributing to great mobility of the shoulder girdle.4 Several liga-
ments serve as important shoulder stabilizers, including the
coracoclavicular, acromioclavicular, coracoacromial, coracohumeral,
and superior, middle, and inferior glenohumeral ligaments. The
houlder pain is a common musculoskeletal disorder. Ac-
S cording to a previous systematic review, the point preva-
lence of shoulder pain ranged from 6.9% to 26%, whereas
rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons (subscapularis,
supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor) encircling the
glenohumeral joint. The long head of the biceps tendon pierces
the lifetime prevalence could be up to 66.7%.1 The patient’s through the rotator cuff interval and has a direct connection
quality of life and functional health would be affected by with the glenohumeral joint. The suprascapular nerve accounts
chronic painful shoulder conditions (eg, adhesive capsulitis), for 70% of the shoulder innervation,5 whereas the remaining
and this leads to anxiety and depression.2 Furthermore, there 30% is innervated by the axillary nerve.6
might be minimal influence of range of motion and muscle There are several pathological conditions that physicians
strength in patients with painful shoulders, but the pain has al- wish to examine using physical examination. The long head
ready hindered their daily activities. The painful restricted activ- of the biceps tendon plays an important role in anterior shoul-
ities that impair participation urge them to seek for physiatrists’ der pain, which may result from tenosynovitis or tendon tear.7
help. Because the shoulder joint has a complex anatomical struc- The superior labral tear from anterior to posterior (SLAP) le-
ture, the relevant symptoms may not directly reflect the underly- sion involves the superior glenoid labrum, inserted by the long
ing pathology. A systematic approach incorporating inspection, head of the biceps tendon.8 The acromioclavicular joint is an
palpation, range of motion examination, and muscle strength important structure suspending the upper limb from the trunk,
testing is helpful for global assessment of shoulder function. and its pathology includes synovitis, osteoarthritis, and sprain/
separation of the overlying ligament.4 The rotator cuff tendon
From the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Taiwan disorder is the most common source of shoulder pain, and its
University Hospital, BeiHu Branch and National Taiwan University College of
Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan (K-VC, W-TW, P-CH); Department of Physical Med- underlying pathology includes tendinopathy, calcification, and
icine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth Univer- tears.9 The subacromial impingement syndrome comprises a
sity, Richmond, Virginia (HLL); University of Hawaii School of Medicine,
Honolulu, Hawaii (HLL); and Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Med-
spectrum of pathologies in the subacromial space, such as
icine, Hacettepe University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey (LÖ). subacromial spurs, subacromial bursitis, and rotator cuff tendon
All correspondence should be addressed to: Ke-Vin Chang, MD, PhD, Department disorders.10 Furthermore, dynamic instability can develop in
of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Taiwan University Hospital,
Bei-Hu Branch and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, No. 87 shoulders with glenohumeral capsular injury.11
Neijiang St, Wanhua District, Taipei 108, Taiwan.
Financial disclosure statements have been obtained, and no conflicts of interest have
been reported by the authors or by any individuals in control of the content of GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF SHOULDER PHYSICAL
this article. EXAMINATIONS
Supplemental digital content is available for this article. Direct URL citations appear
in the printed text and are provided in the HTML and PDF versions of this article A comprehensive shoulder physical examination should start
on the journal’s Web site (www.ajpmr.com). from inspection. First, the physicians should check whether the
Copyright © 2019 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
ISSN: 0894-9115 affected shoulder has swelling, scars, muscle atrophy, and asym-
DOI: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000001311 metric postures in contrast to the unaffected site. Second, the

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Chang et al. Volume 99, Number 2, February 2020

examiners can palpate common tender points, such as the Lift-off Test
acromioclavicular joint, coracoid process, and greater and lesser It is also known as Gerber’s test, which is used for the ex-
tubercles of the humeral head. Third, the active and passive amination of subscapularis tendon disorders. The participant
shoulder range of motion should be examined in all six direc- stands with his/her arm internally rotated and his/her hand placed
tions (flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, internal rotation, on the low back or buttock. The palm should face against the
and external rotation). Fourth, the muscle power in flexion, ex- body. While the participant attempts to lift the hand off the
tension, abduction, and adduction needs to be sequentially body, the examiner exerts resistive force to hinder this move-
tested. Finally, the examiner can proceed to the special shoul- ment (Fig. 2A). The test is considered positive if the participant
der physical tests for ruling out specific lesions. feels pain or weakness when he/she is moving his/her hand
away from the trunk.13

Cross-body Adduction Test


SPECIFIC TESTS FOR SHOULDER EXAMINATION The participant flexes his/her arm forward to 90 degrees
and then adducts it in the horizontal plane to cross the chest
Bicipital Groove Palpation at the maximal effort (Fig. 2B). A positive test is considered
The examiner places his/her fingers on the participant’s when there is reproducible pain over the acromioclavicular joint,
proximal lateral aspect of the arm and rolls over the humeral suggesting acromioclavicular joint dysfunction or subacromial
head. The bicipital groove can be palpated between the greater impingement.14
and lesser tubercles of the humerus (Fig. 1A). Tenderness orig-
inating from the bicipital groove may be attributed to the pa- Compression-Rotation Test
thologies of the long head of the biceps brachii tendon.12 The participant lies in side-lying position with his/her un-
affected shoulder against the bed. The examiner flexes the par-
Speed Test ticipant’s elbow to 90 degrees and abducts the participant’s arm
The participant flexes his/her arm in 90 degrees, extends in 90 degrees. A compressive force is applied through the elbow
the elbow, and supinates the forearm. The examiner gives a to be exerted on the glenohumeral joint followed by internal and
downward force on the participants’ forearm (Fig. 1B). A pos- external rotation of the participant’s arm (Fig. 2C). A positive
itive test is considered in case of pain during resistive shoulder test is considered in case of pain during rotation movements,
flexion, which may be associated with disorders of the long suggesting a SLAP lesion.15
head of the biceps tendon or SLAP lesions.12
Crank Test
Yergason’s Test The participant remains seated during the examination while
The participant flexes his/her elbow in 90 degrees with the his/her arm is abducted greater than 90 degrees in the scapular
forearm pronated. The examiner exerts resistive force on the plane and the elbow is flexed. An axial load is applied on the
participant’s forearm, while the participant attempts to supinate glenohumeral joint. The examiner internally and externally ro-
(Fig. 1C). A positive test is considered in case of pain over the tates the humerus (Fig. 3A). A positive test is considered when
bicipital groove during resistive forearm supination, which might there is pain during dynamic examination, indicating potential
be suggestive of biceps tendon pathology or SLAP lesions.12 labrum lesions.16

FIGURE 1. Demonstration for the bicipital groove palpation (A), speed (B) and Yergason’s (C) tests. The arrows indicate the direction of the resistive
force exerted by the examiner (orange) or the participant (blue).

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Volume 99, Number 2, February 2020 Clinical Tests of the Shoulder

FIGURE 2. Demonstration of the lift-off (A), cross-body adduction (B), and compression-rotation (C) tests. The orange arrows indicate the direction of
the resistive force exerted by the examiner.

O’Brien Test presence of pain between 60 and 120 degrees of abduction, the
The participant fully extends his/her elbow and forward test is considered to be positive for subacromial impingement
flexes his/her arm to 90 degrees and then internally rotates it. (Fig. 4B). However, if the participant continues to report pain
The examiner applies a downward force on the forearm and asks at the end of shoulder abduction, acromioclavicular joint dys-
the participant to resist against it. Subsequently, the participant ex- function should be taken into account.14
ternally rotates his/her arm, and the resistive force is exerted again
(Fig. 3B). If the participant complains of pain during the first Patte’s Test
but not the second test position, a SLAP lesion is suspected.16
The participant flexes his/her elbow, pronates his/her fore-
arm, abducts his/her arm to 90 degrees, and externally rotates
Empty Can Test
it. The participant resists against an internal rotation force applied
The empty can test is also known as Jobe’s or supraspinatus by the examiner on the participant’s dorsal forearm (Fig. 4C).
test. The participant abducts his/her arm to 90 degrees in the A positive test is considered when there is shoulder girdle pain
scapular plane with his/her elbow extended. Subsequently, during the examination or in case of inability to the main arm
maximal internal rotation of the participant’s arm is performed in external rotation, indicating potential pathology over the
with his/her thumb pointing toward the ground. The participant infraspinatus or teres minor tendon.18
resists the downward force given by the examiner on the tested
arm (Fig. 4A). A positive test is considered in case of pain dur-
ing resistive arm abduction, implying possible pathology over Neer’s Impingement Test
the supraspinatus tendon/muscle.17 The participant internally rotates his/her arm and extends
his/her elbow. The examiner holds the participant’s posterior
Painful Arc Test aspect of the scapula to prevent scapular rotation. The participant
The participant keeps his/her upper limb in a neutral posi- forward flexes his/her arm to the maximal extent (Fig. 4D). A
tion and fully abducts his/her arm in the scapular plane. In the positive test is considered in case of pain during arm elevation,

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Chang et al. Volume 99, Number 2, February 2020

FIGURE 3. Demonstration of the Crank (A) and O’Brien (B) tests. The O’Brien test is started by applying a downward force while internally rotating the
arm (left) and followed by externally rotating the arm (right). The arrows indicate the direction of the resistive force exerted by the examiner (orange)
or the participant (blue).

FIGURE 4. Demonstration of the empty can (A), painful arc (B), Patte’s (C), and Neer’s impingement (D) tests. The arrows indicate the direction of the
resistive force exerted by the examiner (orange) or the participant (blue).

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Volume 99, Number 2, February 2020 Clinical Tests of the Shoulder

suggesting possible subacromial impingement or supraspinatus examiner exerts an axial load over the participant’s elbow and at-
tendon pathology.14 tempts to push the participant’s arm posteriorly (Fig. 5C). The
test is considered positive when there is pain or apprehension
Hawkins-Kennedy Impingement Test (being afraid of shoulder posterior dislocation) during the exam-
The participant flexes his/her elbow to 90 degrees and for- ination, indicating possible posterior shoulder instability.20
ward flexes his/her arm in the horizontal plane. The examiner
internally rotates the participant’s arm (Fig. 5A). A positive test COMPARISON OF THE DIAGNOSTIC ACCURACY
is considered when pain is present at the superior lateral aspect
Regarding diagnostic accuracy, some parameters in addition
of the shoulder, indicating possible subacromial impingement
to well-known sensitivity and specificity should be introduced.
or supraspinatus tendon pathology.14
Positive likelihood ratio (LR+) is calculated by “sensitivity/
(1 − specificity)” and it refers to the probability of a person
Anterior Apprehension Test with the disorder testing positive divided by the probability
The participant lies in supine position with his/her arm of a person without the disorder testing positive.21 Negative
and elbow flexed to 90 degrees. The examiner externally ro- LR (LR−) is calculated by “(1 − sensitivity)/specificity” and it
tates the participant’s arm to the maximal extent (Fig. 5B). A refers to the probability of a person with the disorder testing
positive test is considered in case of pain or apprehension (be- negative divided by the probability of a person without the dis-
ing afraid of shoulder anterior dislocation) during arm external order testing negative.21 The diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) is cal-
rotation, indicating possible anterior shoulder instability.19 culated by LR+/LR−. The DOR ranges from zero to infinity,
and a higher value is suggestive of a better diagnostic perfor-
Posterior Apprehension Test mance.21 The benefit of using the DOR as an indicator of diag-
The participant lies in supine position with his/her elbow nostic performance is its independence of prevalence.22 A test
flexed and his/her arm forward flexed and adducted. The with LR+ less than 3 or LR− larger than 0.33 has little value for

FIGURE 5. Demonstration of the Hawkins-Kennedy impingement (A), anterior apprehension (B), and posterior apprehension (C) tests. The orange
arrows indicate the direction of the resistive force exerted by the examiner.

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Chang et al. Volume 99, Number 2, February 2020

improving diagnostic accuracy. A test with a DOR larger than a sensitivity of 0.65 and a specificity of 0.95 based on the
20 is considered excellent.23 In the following part, the diagnostic meta-analysis of Hegedus et al.25 The high DOR indicated ad-
accuracy of clinical tests for several shoulder disorders will be equate discriminative power of the anterior apprehension test.
discussed using the data from published meta-analyses (where Furthermore, its good specificity also reflected the capability of
available). For searching relevant systematic reviews and meta- the anterior apprehension test to exclude anterior shoulder insta-
analyses, we used the combination of “shoulder” and “physical bility in case of a negative finding (Supplementary Table 1, Sup-
examination” as the key words for literature search in PubMed plemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/PHM/A881).
from the earliest record to August 2019 without language re- Another issue that needs to be investigated is the reliability
striction. The article type was focused on reviews. of physical tests for shoulder disorders. Lange et al.26 conducted a
In terms of biceps long head tendinitis, Chen et al.12 used US meta-analysis of 18 eligible studies in 2017. The intrarater reliabil-
to validate the findings of several physical tests. In their target ity was only reported in one study evaluating Neer’s impinge-
population, 39.1% had biceps tendinitis, and 55.3% experienced ment, Hawkins-Kennedy impingement, Patte’s, and empty can
concomitant rotator cuff tendon disorders. The sensitivity values tests. The κ coefficients reached 1 in almost every included test,
for Speed and Yergason’s tests were 63% and 32%, respec- demonstrating excellent intrarater agreement. The meta-analysis
tively. The specificity values for Speed and Yergason’s tests showed that interrater κ coefficients ranged from 0.47 to 0.71
were 58% and 78%, respectively. They concluded that physical ex- for Hawkins-Kennedy impingement, Neer’s impingement,
amination had limited values in the diagnosis of biceps long head empty can, and painful arc tests, indicating moderate-to-
disorders because the finding might be confounded by rotator cuff substantial agreement.
tendon injury, which has a significant anatomic relationship with
the biceps long head tendon (Supplementary Table 1, Supple-
mental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/PHM/A881). LIMITATIONS AND PRACTICABILITY OF
With regard to the SLAP lesion, Gismervik et al.24 con- SPECIFIC SHOULDER TESTS
ducted a meta-analysis in 2017, where they evaluated the diagnos- In some patients with shoulder pain, the underlying pa-
tic accuracy of bicipital groove palpation, Speed, Yergason’s, thology may disappear but the pain persists because of altered
compression-rotation, Crank, anterior apprehension, and O’Brien motion biomechanics and central pain modulation. The shoul-
tests. The anterior apprehension test had the highest sensitivity der physical stress/function tests may yield a negative finding
(0.74) among all tests, whereas Yergason’s test had the highest in the chronic painful stage. Therefore, instead of targeting a
specificity (0.92) among all tests. However, the compression- specific lesion to explain the patient’s symptoms, the examiner
rotation test had the highest DOR (6.36), followed by Yergason’s should look for evidence of faulty postures and muscle activat-
test (2.91), among all tests. The previously mentioned findings ing patterns. A global and comprehensive evaluation of shoulder
were consistent with the observation from an earlier meta- kinematics may prevent patients from unnecessary surgeries.
analysis performed by Hegedus et al.,25 revealing that Yergason’s The previously mentioned rule is also suitable for patents after
test had the best specificity (0.95) and the compression-rotation shoulder surgeries, where biotensegrity and regional anatomy
test had the best positive LR (2.81) among all tests (Supplemen- have been changed. Furthermore, shoulder pain may also pres-
tary Table 1, Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww. ent with neck disorders and vice versa. A recent US study has
com/PHM/A881). shown that in patients with shoulder or neck pain, the findings
Subacromial impingement syndrome is another important of rotator cuff tendon tears are independent from cervical fo-
shoulder disorder. Based on the meta-analysis of Gismervik raminal stenosis.27 Therefore, if applicable, the physicians are
et al.,24 the sensitivity and specificity of Hawkins-Kennedy im- suggested to conduct physical examinations and imaging studies
pingement test were 0.58 and 0.67, respectively. Similarly, Neer’s of both the neck and shoulder regions in participants with un-
impingement test had a sensitivity of 0.59 and a specificity of differentiated shoulder and neck pain.
0.60. Overall, Hawkins-Kennedy impingement test had a slightly Regarding the diagnostic scheme of shoulder disorders, US
higher DOR (2.86) than Neer’s impingement test (2.17). The or- imaging can in theory be used as the first line because the US
der of the DOR values pertaining to the two previously mentioned machine is more accessible nowadays. Given this case, the
tests was in accordance with the meta-analysis of Hegedus et al.25 shoulder physical tests may be served as assistance to rule out
in which the diagnostic power of the painful arc test was also hidden pathologies. However, the proposed diagnostic algorism
evaluated. They found that the DOR of the painful arc test has not been supported by available guidelines yet, which needs
was not better than that of Hawkins-Kennedy and Neer’s im- more prospective studies to prove. Furthermore, the physician
pingement tests (Supplementary Table 1, Supplemental Digital should be aware of the limitation of US in detecting certain
Content 1, http://links.lww.com/PHM/A881).25 shoulder pathologies, such as SLAP lesion. When the physical
Considering any kind of rotator cuff tendon full-thickness findings are not consistent with the US presentations, the in-
tears, the empty can test had a high DOR (9.24) with sensitivity vestigators should be alerted that the lesion may be outside
of 0.74 and specificity of 0.77 according to the meta-analysis of the shoulder joints. If the shoulders have been treated by sur-
of Gismervik et al.24 If the pathology was restricted to geries or other invasive nonsurgical interventions (eg, radiofre-
supraspinatus full-thickness tear only, the DOR of the empty quency ablation), the physical or imaging findings might not
can test decreased to 3.50, with a sensitivity of 0.60 and a spec- be consistent with symptom improvement. Overdiagnosis with
ificity of 0.70 (Supplementary Table 1, Supplemental Digital sonographic imaging in painful shoulder disorders is not un-
Content 1, http://links.lww.com/PHM/A881). common.28 There are still several clinical scenarios that US im-
Concerning anterior shoulder instability, the DOR of the aging might not be representative of the severity of underlying
anterior apprehension test could reach as high as 53.60 with pathologies.29 Furthermore, the examiner should be aware that

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Volume 99, Number 2, February 2020 Clinical Tests of the Shoulder

FIGURE 6. Demonstration of the US-guided biceps palpation test (A) and corresponding US imaging before (B) and after (C) palpation by the thumb.
Demonstration of the dynamic US cross-body adduction test (D) and corresponding US imaging before (E) and after (F) adduction of the examiner’s
arm. *Biceps long-head tendon. The yellow dashed line indicates superficial fascia; white dashed line, capsule of the acromioclavicular joint. ACR,
acromion; CLA, clavicle; DEL, deltoid muscle; GT, greater tubercle; LG, lesser tubercle.

there are still several blind spots for shoulder US, such as the
superior labrum. In those cases, the findings on the specific
shoulder physical tests would provide useful information for
physicians to decide whether advanced imaging examinations
(eg, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging)
should be prescribed.

EXTENSION OF TRADITIONAL SHOULDER TESTS


Ultrasound imaging has been considered as one of the
most useful tools for the management of shoulder problems.30–32
The possibility of dynamic assessment renders US an extension
of the physical examination. In patients with bicipital groove ten-
derness, it can help verify whether the painful area is on top of
the biceps long head tendon (Figs. 6A–C and Supplementary
Video 1, Supplemental Digital Content 2, http://links.lww.
com/PHM/A882). When the cross-chest test was performed to
examine the acromioclavicular joint, the transducer can
be put over the joint while the participant adducts his/her arm
(Figs. 6D–F and Supplementary Video 2, Supplemental Digital
Content 3, http://links.lww.com/PHM/A883). Bulging of the
joint capsule, narrowing of the joint space, and protruding intra-
articular disc can be easily visualized in relevant cases. In patients
with positive Hawkins-Kennedy and Neer’s impingement
tests, the examiner can perform a dynamic subacromial
impingement test.10,33 The transducer is positioned along the
scapular plane lateral to the acromion. The participant gradually
raises his/her arm, and the examiner simultaneously observes
whether there is bulging of the subacromial bursa and FIGURE 7. Demonstration of the dynamic US subacromial
abnormal elevation/movement of the humeral head (Fig. 7 and impingement test (A) and corresponding US imaging at rest (B) and
during shoulder abduction along the scapular plane (C). The blue arrow
Supplementary Video 3, Supplemental Digital Content 4, indicates the direction of movement of the participant’s arm. ACR,
http://links.lww.com/PHM/A884). Normally, the supraspinatus acromion; CLA, clavicle; DEL, deltoid muscle; GT, greater tubercle; SS,
tendon (“bird’s beak”) fully disappears beneath the acromion. supraspinatus muscle.

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Chang et al. Volume 99, Number 2, February 2020

FIGURE 8. Demonstration of the dynamic US posterior glenohumeral joint impingement test (A) and corresponding US imaging at rest (B) and during
extension and external rotation of the arm at 90 degrees of shoulder abduction (C). The blue arrow indicates the direction of movement of the
participant’s arm. *Labrum. CLA, clavicle; DEL, deltoid muscle; HH, humeral head; IS, infraspinatus muscle.

In athletes who participate in throwing activities, dynamic US 2. Bagheri F, Ebrahimzadeh MH, Moradi A, et al: Factors associated with pain, disability
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Supplemental Digital Content 5, http://links.lww.com/PHM/ 4. Chang KV, Mezian K, Nanka O, et al: Ultrasound-guided interventions for painful shoulder:
A885). The examiner can always improvise and place the from anatomy to evidence. J Pain Res 2018;11:2311–22
transducer on the area (“sonopalpation”) where the pathology 5. Wu WT, Chang KV, Mezian K, et al: Basis of shoulder nerve entrapment syndrome: an
may be observed during the physical examination or where ultrasonographic study exploring factors influencing cross-sectional area of the suprascapular
nerve. Front Neurol 2018;9:902
the participant describes the exact location of pain. In the 6. Chang KV, Lin CP, Lin CS, et al: A novel approach for ultrasound guided axillary nerve block:
future, the examiners may consider using dynamic US to the inferior axilla technique. Med Ultrason 2017;19:457–61
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9. Hung CY, Chang KV, Ozcakar L, et al: Can quantification of biceps peritendinous effusion
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Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2016;95:161–8
CONCLUSIONS 10. Chang KV, Wu WT, Han DS, et al: Static and dynamic shoulder imaging to predict initial
Because the shoulder is a complex structure, concomitant effectiveness and recurrence after ultrasound-guided subacromial corticosteroid injections.
Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2017;98:1984–94
disorders of the shoulders are common. The physical tests are 11. Ma R, Brimmo OA, Li X, et al: Current concepts in rehabilitation for traumatic anterior
helpful to detect the likely pathology of shoulder disorders, shoulder instability. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med 2017;10:499–506
but interpretation of findings may vary across the examiners. 12. Chen HS, Lin SH, Hsu YH, et al: A comparison of physical examinations with
musculoskeletal ultrasound in the diagnosis of biceps long head tendinitis. Ultrasound Med
Regarding diagnostic performance, most shoulder physical Biol 2011;37:1392–8
tests have better specificity than sensitivity, making them more 13. Greis PE, Kuhn JE, Schultheis J, et al: Validation of the lift-off test and analysis of
suitable to rule out certain lesions in case of negative findings. subscapularis activity during maximal internal rotation. Am J Sports Med 1996;24:589–93
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Lastly, US can be considered as an extension of physical exam- 2000;61:3079–88
ination where static/dynamic imaging can be a contributing 15. Somerville LE, Willits K, Johnson AM, et al: Clinical assessment of physical examination
factor along with the previously mentioned tests. maneuvers for superior labral anterior to posterior lesions. Surg J (N Y) 2017;3:e154–62
16. Stetson WB, Templin K: The crank test, the O'Brien test, and routine magnetic resonance
imaging scans in the diagnosis of labral tears. Am J Sports Med 2002;30:806–9
17. Gillooly JJ, Chidambaram R, Mok D: The lateral Jobe test: a more reliable method of
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Volume 99, Number 2, February 2020 Clinical Tests of the Shoulder

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