Posterior Subluxation Test

Published July 2, 2026 Read time 1 min read Readers 3
Posterior Subluxation Test

What is the “Posterior Subluxation Test” used for?

  • Posterior instability of the shoulder joint

How to perform the “Posterior Subluxation Test”?

  • The patient is in sitting or standing.Ā 
  • Starting with the unaffected shoulder, the examiner places the test arm into adduction, medial rotation, and 70Ā° to 90Ā° forward flexion.Ā 
  • The examiner then applies a posteriorly directed force at the patientā€™s elbow while slowly moving the shoulder into horizontal abduction and lateral rotationĀ 
  • The affected shoulder is then tested

What is the positive result?

  • If a clunk is heard, the test is positive, indicating that the humeral head has reduced into the glenoid during the movement.

References

  1. Clinical Examination of the Unstable Shoulder – Scientific Figure on ResearchGate. Available from: Link