Which test is included in the Full Thickness Rotator Cuff Tear diagnostic cluster?

Which test is included in the Full Thickness Rotator Cuff Tear diagnostic cluster?

• A. Neer test
• B. Jobe's (empty can) test
• C. Hawkins-Kennedy test
• D. Drop arm test

Answer: (D)

The Drop Arm test is incorporated into the diagnostic cluster for a Full Thickness Rotator Cuff Tear because it specifically assesses the integrity of the rotator cuff muscles, particularly the supraspinatus. In this examination, the patient is asked to abduct the arm to shoulder height and then slowly lower it. A classic sign of a rotator cuff tear is the patient's inability to control the descent of the arm, leading to sudden dropping. This phenomenon indicates a compromised muscle performance due to injury, providing clear clinical evidence consistent with a full-thickness tear. In contrast, the other tests listed—Neer test, Jobe's (empty can) test, and Hawkins-Kennedy test—while useful in evaluating shoulder pathologies, primarily focus on impingement syndrome rather than directly isolating and confirming the presence of a full-thickness tear. Each of these tests has its own specific mechanism of evaluation, but they do not offer the same direct evidence of rotator cuff integrity as the Drop Arm test does in the context of diagnosing a full-thickness rotator cuff tear. Therefore, the Drop Arm test is the most relevant and indicative tool within that diagnostic framework.

The Drop Arm test is incorporated into the diagnostic cluster for a Full Thickness Rotator Cuff Tear because it specifically assesses the integrity of the rotator cuff muscles, particularly the supraspinatus. In this examination, the patient is asked to abduct the arm to shoulder height and then slowly lower it. A classic sign of a rotator cuff tear is the patient's inability to control the descent of the arm, leading to sudden dropping. This phenomenon indicates a compromised muscle performance due to injury, providing clear clinical evidence consistent with a full-thickness tear.

In contrast, the other tests listed—Neer test, Jobe's (empty can) test, and Hawkins-Kennedy test—while useful in evaluating shoulder pathologies, primarily focus on impingement syndrome rather than directly isolating and confirming the presence of a full-thickness tear. Each of these tests has its own specific mechanism of evaluation, but they do not offer the same direct evidence of rotator cuff integrity as the Drop Arm test does in the context of diagnosing a full-thickness rotator cuff tear. Therefore, the Drop Arm test is the most relevant and indicative tool within that diagnostic framework.