Open AccessThe lateral Jobe test: A more reliable method of diagnosing rotator cuff tears
Author(s) -
John Joseph Gillooly,
R. Chidambaram,
D. Mok
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
international journal of shoulder surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 0973-6042
DOI - 10.4103/0973-6042.70822
Subject(s) - rotator cuff , medicine , tears , weakness , coronal plane , arthroscopy , rotator cuff injury , surgery , radiology
The most reliable clinical investigations to diagnose rotator cuff tears reported in the literature is a triad of weakness on resisted external rotation, pain on impingement, and weakness on supraspinatus testing, or a combination of two of the above in a patient over 60 years of age. We present a simple new clinical test "The lateral Jobe Test" and compare it to these combined tests. The lateral Jobe test is performed with the patient's shoulder abducted 90° in the coronal plane and internally rotated so that with the elbows flexed 90° the fingers point inferiorly and thumbs medially. A positive test is pain or weakness on resisting an inferiorly directed force applied to the distal arms or an inability to perform the test.