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Shoulder and upper arm diagnoses
From WikEM
Contents
Evaluation
Rotator Cuff Tests
- Supraspinatus Test
- Abduct arm to 90', forward flex it 30' with thumb down ("empy beer can position")
- Test for pain/weakness against resistance to continued abduction
- Infraspinatus and Teres Minor Test
- Stabilize the elbow against the patient's waist and bend the elbow to 90'
- Test for pain/weakness against resistance to external rotation
- Subscapularis Test
- Place hand behind lower back
- Test for pain/weakness as patient attempts to push examiner's hand away by moving dorsum of hand away from back
- Drop arm test
- Patient is unable to hold or smoothly lower an extended arm at 90' of shoulder abduction with out dropping it
Impingement Tests
- Maneuver of Neer
- Prevent scapular rotation with one hand while rasing patient's straightened arm in full forward flexion to overhead
- Positive sign is pain in the arc bewtween 70-120'
- Hawkins Impingement Test
- Position the shoulder at 90' of abduction and elbow at 90' of flexion
- Then rotate shoulder internally bringing the arm across the front of the pt
- Positive sign is pain during this maneuver
Differential Diagnosis
Shoulder and Upper Arm Diagnoses
Traumatic/Acute:
- Shoulder Dislocation
- Clavicle fracture
- Humerus fracture
- Scapula fracture
- Acromioclavicular injury
- Glenohumeral instability
- Rotator cuff tear
- Biceps tendon rupture
- Triceps tendon rupture
- Septic joint
Nontraumatic/Chronic:
- Rotator cuff tear
- Impingement syndrome
- Calcific tendinitis
- Adhesive capsulitis
- Biceps tendinitis
- Subacromial bursitis
Refered pain & non-orthopedic causes:
- Referred pain from
- Neck
- Diaphragm (e.g. gallbladder disease)
- Brachial plexus injury
- Axillary artery thrombosis
- Thoracic outlet syndrome
- Subclavian steal syndrome
- Pancoast tumor
- Myocardial infarction
- Pneumonia
- Pulmonary embolism
