TY - JOUR
T1 - The infraspinatus test may not be used to screen for shoulder external rotator strength deficits among patients with shoulder pathology
AU - Rabin, Alon
AU - Chechik, Ofir
AU - Goldstein, Yariv
AU - Dolkart, Oleg
AU - Maman, Eran
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2019 The Japanese Orthopaedic Association
PY - 2019/11/1
Y1 - 2019/11/1
N2 - Background: The infraspinatus test is often used to determine the presence of shoulder external rotator strength deficits. As the accuracy of this test has not been established adequately, the purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of the infraspinatus test in detecting shoulder external rotator strength deficits. Methods: Sixty-two patients with a unilateral shoulder disorder underwent the infraspinatus test followed by instrumented assessment of shoulder external rotator muscle strength. The infraspinatus test was rated positive or negative based on the presence or absence of a strength deficit on the involved compared with the uninvolved shoulder. The instrumented strength assessment was rated positive or negative based on 4 cutoff thresholds for the presence of a strength deficit on the involved side: ≥10%, ≥15%, ≥20%, or ≥30%. The Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratio of the infraspinatus test was determined based on each cutoff threshold. Results: Sensitivity ranged from 52.5 to 61.1%, specificity ranged from 72.7 to 90.9%, the positive likelihood ratio ranged from 2.24 to 5.77, while the negative likelihood ratio ranged from 0.52 to 0.59. Conclusions: As considerable external rotator strength deficits may frequently exist among patients with a negative infraspinatus test, this test may not serve a good screening test for external rotator strength deficits. Contrarily, clinicians can be reasonably certain of the presence of an external rotator strength deficit given a positive infraspinatus test.
AB - Background: The infraspinatus test is often used to determine the presence of shoulder external rotator strength deficits. As the accuracy of this test has not been established adequately, the purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of the infraspinatus test in detecting shoulder external rotator strength deficits. Methods: Sixty-two patients with a unilateral shoulder disorder underwent the infraspinatus test followed by instrumented assessment of shoulder external rotator muscle strength. The infraspinatus test was rated positive or negative based on the presence or absence of a strength deficit on the involved compared with the uninvolved shoulder. The instrumented strength assessment was rated positive or negative based on 4 cutoff thresholds for the presence of a strength deficit on the involved side: ≥10%, ≥15%, ≥20%, or ≥30%. The Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratio of the infraspinatus test was determined based on each cutoff threshold. Results: Sensitivity ranged from 52.5 to 61.1%, specificity ranged from 72.7 to 90.9%, the positive likelihood ratio ranged from 2.24 to 5.77, while the negative likelihood ratio ranged from 0.52 to 0.59. Conclusions: As considerable external rotator strength deficits may frequently exist among patients with a negative infraspinatus test, this test may not serve a good screening test for external rotator strength deficits. Contrarily, clinicians can be reasonably certain of the presence of an external rotator strength deficit given a positive infraspinatus test.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85071873483&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jos.2019.08.011
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jos.2019.08.011
M3 - Article
C2 - 31500956
SN - 0949-2658
VL - 24
SP - 1037
EP - 1041
JO - Journal of Orthopaedic Science
JF - Journal of Orthopaedic Science
IS - 6
ER -