Clinical Testing for Tears of the Glenoid Labrum

Purpose: With the increasing use of shoulder arthroscopy, diagnosis of glenoid labral lesions has become increasingly common. However, a physical examination maneuver that would allow a definitive clinical diagnosis of a glenoid labral tear, and more specifically a SLAP lesion, has been elusive. This study correlated the results of commonly used examination maneuvers with findings at shoulder arthroscopy. The working hypothesis was that 7 commonly used clinical tests, alone or in logical combinations, would provide diagnoses with reliability greater than the accepted standards for magnetic resonance imaging arthrography; i.e., greater than 95 % sensitivity and specificity. Type of Study: Consecutive sample, sensitivity-specificity study. Methods: Sixty shoulders undergoing arthroscopy for a variety of pathologies were examined before surgery. All subjects submitted to th