Shoulder
Hyperabduction test
Test van Gagey
- What you examine
- Laxity of the inferior part of the glenohumeral capsule.
- Procedure
- Stand behind the seated patient and fix the scapula by pressing on the shoulder girdle with your forearm. Passively abduct the arm and read the angle at which the scapula starts to follow.
- Positive when
- More than 105 degrees of purely glenohumeral abduction, or a clear difference from the other side.
- What the test is worth
- Distinguishes capsular laxity from restriction; particularly useful in young athletes with instability complaints.
- Caution
- Laxity is not instability. Only when the patient has complaints with that laxity do you speak of instability.
- Body region
- Shoulder