Jerk test
Purpose
test used to detect posteroinferior instability of the shoulder
Technique
While stabilizing the patient’s scapula with one hand and holding the affected arm at 90° abduction and internal rotation, the examiner grasps the elbow and axially loads the humerus in a proximal direction.The arm is moved horizontally across the body. A positive result is indicated by a sudden clunk as the humeral head slides off the back of the glenoid. When the arm is returned to the original position, a second jerk may be observed, that of the humeral head returning to the glenoid.[1] •
Evidence
A systematic review of the validity and accuracy of clinical tests used to detect labral pathology of the shoulder showed the +LR of the Jerk Test to be LR 34.71 and the -LR to be 0.27[2]
References
1. Kim et al. Painful Jerk Test: A Predictor of Success in Nonoperative Treatment of Posteroinferior Instability of the Shoulder. Am J Sports Med 2004 32: 1849
2. Munro et al. The validity and accuracy of clinical tests used to detect labral pathology of the shoulder--a systematic review. Man Ther. 2009 Apr;14(2):119-30
