Test library › Shoulder & upper arm
Lift-off test
For: Subscapularis tear
A tear in the subscapularis, the rotator cuff tendon at the front of the shoulder that turns the arm inwards (internal rotation).
Best used to rule inLikelihood ratios calculated from the review's pooled sensitivity and specificity.
Caution: Pooled from 8 studies that disagreed widely on sensitivity, so the average hides very inconsistent results.
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
Lädermann A, Collin P, Zbinden O, Meynard T, Saffarini M, Chiu JCH. Diagnostic Accuracy of Clinical Tests for Subscapularis Tears: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Orthop J Sports Med. 2021;9(9):23259671211042011. 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.