SIGNIFICANCE OF HISTORY AND CLINICAL EXAM INATION IN PATIENTS WITH DEGENERATIVE IMPINGEMENT-SYNDROME COMPARED TO INTRAOPERATIVE FINDINGS - A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY

50 patients with a degenerative shoulder-syndrome with impingement are evaluated by questioning and 17 clinical tests. Also taking in accoun t findings of plain x-rays they are classified preoperatively as ''rot ator cuff tear'' or ''no tear''. Only 4 of the maneuvers are positive in more than 66% of cases. Jobe test and Eppendorf test are especially useful in diagnosing an impingement syndrome. A painful are is found in only 48.9%. In the rupture group 9.7 maneuvers are positive while i n the non rupture group it is 7.7 in the mean (not significant). Becau se no significant differences are noticed between groups for any of th e tests a cuff tear can not be ruled out by a single sign. The overall rate of positive tests of both authors is similar (41.1%, 45.8%) but in detail differences are found in 21.2%.