Rotator Cuff Muscle Strength Testing

Rotator cuff muscle strength testing. A) Keeping his elbow at a 90° angle, the patient presses his hand towards his abdomen against the examiner's resistance. Clear weakness and/or the elbow giving way backward suggest subscapular rupture. B) With his arms abducted to an angle of 90° in the scapular plane (about 30° forward flexion) the patient tries to raise his arms against the examiner's resistance. Weakness suggests a supraspinatus rupture. C) With his lower arms flexed at an angle of 90° the patient tries to rotate his lower arms outward against the examiner's resistance. Weakness suggests an infraspinatus rupture.

Picture: Duodecim Medical Publications Ltd., text: Juha Kukkonen, Kaisa Lehtimäki and Anssi Ryösä