Clinical Utility of Traditional and New Tests in the Diagnosis of Biceps Tendon Injuries and Superior Labrum Anterior and Posterior Lesions in the Shoulder

Background: Clinical tests are a key element in diagnosing shoulder lesions.

Purpose: This study examined the clinical utility of traditional and new examination tests, the upper cut for biceps injuries, and the modified dynamic labral shear for superior glenoid labral lesions.

Study Design: Cohort study (Diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2.

Methods: A total of 325 consecutive patients who were seen for shoulder pain underwent a standardized clinical testing battery. Six clinical tests that have been previously reported in the literature (Yergason’s, Speed’s, bear hug, belly press, O’Brien’s, and anterior slide) and 2 new examination tests (upper cut and modified dynamic labral shear) were performed. Clinical examination findings were correlated with findings in those who came to surgery (101 patients). Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive/ negative predictive value, and positive/negative likelihood ratio were calculated for each test. A binary logistic regression analysis was used to determine which tests produced the most significant findings.

Results: For biceps disease, the bear hug and upper cut were most sensitive (0.79 and 0.73, respectively), whereas the belly press and Speed’s test were most specific (0.85 and 0.81, respectively). The upper cut was most accurate (0.77) and produced the highest positive likelihood ratio (3.38). For labral injury, the modified dynamic labral shear demonstrated sensitivity of 0.72, specificity of 0.98, accuracy of 0.84, and a positive likelihood ratio of 31.57. A binary logistic regression analysis revealed that the combination of the upper cut and Speed’s tests were significantly better at detecting biceps lesions (P = .021, R2 = .400) than other tests, whereas labral lesions were best identified by combination of the modified dynamic labral shear and O’Brien’s maneuvers (P = .045, R2 = .641).

Conclusion: The new tests are helpful additions to the clinical examination for shoulder injury. The modified dynamic labral shear test demonstrates high scores for clinical utility and exhibits a high likelihood ratio, indicating a significant probability of affecting the clinical decision, which should moderately or significantly improve the diagnostic conclusion and allow the clinician to be more efficient in making an accurate diagnosis.