OFFICE DIAGNOSIS OF SHOULDER DISORDERS

Complex tests and procedures are not usually needed to identify should er injuries that are common in clinical practice: rotator cuff injurie s, shoulder instability, and impingement syndrome, among others. The h istory can differentiate causes of pain or instability with questions about symptom patterns. Performing targeted physical tests such as the drop-arm test and the apprehension test establishes presence and degr ee of impingement or instability. A standard radiographic series that includes rotation, axillary, and supraspinatus outlet views can identi fy presence of associated fractures, calcification, and lesions.