What is the drop arm test?
The drop arm test is used to measure a patient’s ability to sustain humeral joint motion. The humeral joint is the major joint that connects the upper limb to the trunk.
The test is done by taking the arms through an eccentric contraction through the full motion of abduction to adduction. If the patient has a rotator cuff dysfunction, it can be detected.
Drop Arm Test Procedure
- This test can preform either sit on an examination table or stand posture.
- The examiner can either be at the patient’s lateral side or behind the arm, and he will passively abduct the patient’s shoulder to 90 degrees. Then the patient is then asked to adduct the arm slowly.
Identification of the Problem in the Rotator Cuff
While performing the test if the patient experiences pain or the arm is suddenly adducted instead of gradually examiner detects it as rotator cuff dysfunction.
Common issues detect in Drop Arm Test
The rotator cuff is made from muscles and tendons that help to keep the head of the arm bone attache into the shoulder socket. This joint known as ball and socket joint. The rotator cuff helps to rotate and raise the arm. It has supraspinatus muscle and tendons.
- The common issues of the rotator cuff are,
- Rotator cuff tear
- Rotator cuff tendinitis
- Rotator cuff bursitis
Rotator Cuff Tear
Rotator cuff tear occurs when the arm moves a certain way over and over. It mostly occurs in older age groups.
Rotator Cuff Tendinitis
Rotator Cuff Tendinitis is the inflammation of the tendon that attaches to the bone.
Rotator Cuff Bursitis
Bursa is a small sac and it is filled with fluid. It helps to protect the rotator cuff. Due to the repeated same movement, it gets irritated
