First Rib Assessment in Prone – Cross Grip

Execution:

  1. The patient is in prone lying position with the head part of the bench lowered so that the patient’s head is in slight flexion
  2. The examiner locates spinous process T1 for orientation and rotates the patient head towards the side to be examined
  3. The examiner crosses the arms and places the MCP1 of the left hand (see video)on the first rib and locks the elbow position with the own hip, while the right hand gives slight traction on the patient’s neck
  4. The examiner then assesses mobility by pushing (by moving his hip forward) into caudal, ventral and medial direction (in the direction of the patient’s anterior superior iliac spine / ASIS)while the patient breathes out

 

Positive Outcome: Pain provocation or change in end feel compared with the other side

Study Reliability Sn Sp LR+ LR-
Fjellner et al. (1999) Inter к=0.06 NA NA NA NA