The Shoulder

Passive lateral rotation in 90° of elevation

Execution

The elbow is flexed to 90° and the arm passively abducted to the horizontal.
In this position the shoulder is put into more lateral rotation until the endfeel is reached.
The range of movement is compared to the range of lateral rotation as found during the basic functional examination and to the range of movement at the contralateral shoulder.

Indication: whenever an isolated limitation of the lateral rotation is found.

Significance

In an anterior capsular contracture the limitation of the lateral rotation
does not depend on the position of the upper arm and the movement always comes to
a stop at the same range.

A limitation of the lateral rotation with the arm hanging along the body together
with a full range of lateral rotation with an abducted arm points in the direction
of a subcoracoid bursitis.