The Shoulder

Technique:

• The patient sits, with the arm behind the back, the elbow bent to 90°.
• In this position, the major tubercle lies anterior to the acromion.
• The spine of the scapula and the fossa supraspinalis scapulae can easily be palpated.
  The palpating finger follows the fossa laterally until the posterior part of the AC joint is met.
  The tendon now runs in an anterior direction and under the acromion to insert on the major tubercle.
• Normally the palpable part of the supraspinatus tendon fills the gap between acromion and tubercle. When the supraspinatus tendon is completely torn, no structure can be felt.
However, the remnants on the top of the tubercle, can be very ternder to the touch