Test library › Shoulder & upper arm
Crank test
For: SLAP lesion
A tear of the top of the labrum, the rim of cartilage around the shoulder socket, where the long head of biceps attaches. SLAP stands for superior labrum, anterior to posterior.
A weak test on its ownWhat the numbers mean
- Positive result: barely informative: a positive result changes little.
- Negative result: barely informative: a negative result changes little.
Source
Gismervik SØ, Drogset JO, Granviken F, Rø M, Leivseth G. Physical examination tests of the shoulder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic test performance. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2017;18(1):41. Journal article (DOI) · meta-analysis
Figures as they will appear in Rule It In, Rule It Out (Trokos, forthcoming). If a newer or better study changes them, this page changes with the book. Figures last updated from the book on 2 October 2026.
Get the book for the shoulder questions that matter: neck or shoulder, a painful cuff or a torn one, and an unstable joint or the labrum
This page gives the published figures. Rule It In, Rule It Out adds how to do this test, what counts as positive, how to read the result, and, where studied, whether combining it with other tests helps.
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One study, one test, once a month
Rule It In is a free evidence letter for musculoskeletal clinicians: one recent study explained, one examination test with its real numbers. From Trokos, publisher of Rule It In, Rule It Out.