Shoulder Load and Shift

Published July 2, 2026 Read time 2 min read Readers 2

What is the “Shoulder Load and Shift” used for?

The Load and Shift test is used to test for Anterior Instability of the shoulder joint.

The patient lies in the supine position.
The clinician is beside the patient with the inside of the hand over the patient’s shoulder and forearm, stabilizing the scapula to the thorax.
The clinician places his or her hand across the glenohumeral joint line and humeral head, so that clinician’s little finger is positioned across the anterior G-H joint line and humeral head.
The humerus is then carefully pushed anteriorly or posteriorly in the glenoid if necessary to seat it properly in the glenoid fossa. This is the load portion of the test.
The examiner then tries to translate the humeral head in an anteromedial direction to assess anterior stability, and in a posterolateral direction, to assess posterior instability, and the amount of translation and end feel are noted. This is the shift portion of the test.
The test should be compared to the contralateral side.

The arm by the side of the body, patient relaxed with forearm over the lap, examiner standing from back, with one hand hold the scapula with fingers in the front of shoulder over coracoid and thumb in the back over the angle of acromion, with the other hand hold the head of humerus.
Perform the anterior and posterior translation test as with supine position.
Comparison must be made to the asymptomatic contralateral side.

Load and Shift test is Positive when there is increased translation of the humeral head compared to the contralateral side.
For posterior translation, translation of 50% of the diameter of the humeral head is considered normal.

Load and Shift | Orthofixar
Tzannes, Anthony & Murrell, George. (2002). Clinical Examination of the Unstable Shoulder. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.). 32. 447-57. 10.2165/00007256-200232070-00004.