Simple Shoulder Test.
Last updated Thursday, February 10, 2005
Attributes of the simple shoulder testHas the Simple Shoulder Test (SST) been reproduced? Is it practical? The SST has demonstrated a high degree of reproducibility. In normal
subjects, the reproducibility is essentially 100%, with almost all
subjects answering "yes" to all twelve questions. As a more stringent
test, we tested seventy patients with abnormal SST's and then retested
them 5 to 30 days later (average 14 days). Sixty-three percent of the
patients had identical responses on retesting. Ninety percent of the
patients answered no more than one question differently on retest. Over
96 percent made no more than two different responses on retest. This
lack of absolute reproducibility is not a deficiency of the SST;
instead it reflects an actual day-to-day variation in some patients'
view of their shoulder function.
The Simple Shoulder Test provides a practical method for determining
the pretreatment shoulder function as well as the shoulder function at
various intervals after the treatment. Sequential SST's indicate the
length of time required to achieve maximum functional benefit after
treatment. The difference between the shoulder function before
treatment and after the recovery period is the effectiveness of the
treatment.
The simplicity of the SST facilitates the communication of results
to patients. Prospective surgical candidates are able to compare their
own pretreatment status with the typical pretreatment status of others
having the same diagnosis. This information enables them to answer
questions such as, "How bad is my arthritis in comparison with other
individuals who have had a total shoulder replacement?" Similarly, by
reviewing the functional results of a given treatment for their
diagnosis, patients can answer the questions, "What are the chances
that I will be able to do these activities after the treatment?" and
"How long will it take before I see improvement?"
The SST facilitates comparisons because
- the questions are standardized,
- the SST is a patient self-assessment (eliminating concerns about inter-observer variations),
- the SST is simple and free (so it can be repeated often and used by anyone).
Disclaimer
This resource has been provided by the University of Washington Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine as general information only. This information may not apply to a specific patient. Additional information may be found at http://www.orthop.washington.edu or by contacting the UW Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine.
How useful was this page or article?
|
|