Test library › Shoulder & upper arm
Drop arm test
For: Supraspinatus tear
A tear in the supraspinatus, the rotator cuff tendon across the top of the shoulder that helps lift the arm out to the side. Tears can be partial or full-thickness.
Best used to rule inPositive likelihood ratio as published by the study, calculated from its raw counts; the rounded percentages shown give a slightly lower figure.
What the numbers mean
- Positive result: a moderate rule-in: a positive result makes the diagnosis clearly more likely.
- Negative result: barely informative: a negative result changes little.
Source
Jain NB, Luz J, Higgins LD, Dong Y, Warner JJP, Matzkin E, Katz JN. The Diagnostic Accuracy of Special Tests for Rotator Cuff Tear: The ROW Cohort Study. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2017;96(3):176–183. PubMed · single study
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.
Coming in late 2026 as a PDF and a paperback. Join the list to hear when it's out
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.