Supine Flexion Resistance Test

Execution:

  1. The patient lies in supine position with the arm resting above the head in full elevation and the palms facing upward
  2. The examiner grasps the patient’s arm just distal to the elbow and asks the patient to perform toward flexion of the arm as if simulating a throwing motion

 

Positive Outcome: Pain is elicited deep inside the shoulder joint or at the dorsal aspect of the shoulder along the joint line during the resisted movement

Study Reliability Sn Sp LR+ LR-
Ebinger et al. (2008) NA 80 69 2.58 0.29
Comment: The Supine Flexion Resistance test had a higher specificity than the O’Brien and Speed’s test and a higher sensitivity in the group of patients with shoulder complaints and an isolated SLAP lesion without rotator cuff lesions. A limitation of the test however is, that it can only be used in patients with a free range of motion of the involved shoulder because patients with partial shoulder stiffness experience pain just by trying to reach the full flexion examination position as a result of the capsular adhesions