Sulcus Sign
What is the "Sulcus Sign" used for?
- Multidirectional Instability (MDI) of the shoulder.
How to perform the "Sulcus Sign"?
- The patient is seated or standing.
- With one hand, the examiner stabilizes the patient’s contralateral shoulder while applying a distal pull on the patient’s relaxed affected arm with the other hand.
- This is best done by grasping the patient’s arm at the elbow, with the elbow slightly flexed.
What is the positive result?
- If there is a sulcus that forms at the superior aspect of the humeral head, the test is positive.
- Sulcus is considered positive if it stays increased (2+ or 3+) with ER at side (pathologic rotator interval)
Test Accuracy
- Sensitivity: 28 %
- Specificity: 97 %
References
