Clinical and Laboratory Assessments of the Scapula: A Review Article

Document Type : Review Article

Authors

1 Musculoskeletal Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

2 Physical Therapy Department, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

Abstract

Purpose:
Proper scapular position is essential during upper limb movements. Improper positioning of this bone can play a role in the development of shoulder dysfunction and consequent pain. Therefore, knowledge about the methods of assessing the scapular position is an important issue. The aim of this study was to review the clinical and laboratory evaluation methods of scapula in different studies.
Methods:
All studies in English language that were related to scapular position assessment methods from 1995 to 2020 were searched in Google, Google Scholar, PubMed, and Science Direct with the keywords Scapular kinematics, Scapular position, Scapular orientation, Clinical assessment, Evaluation, Assess, Measure, and Shoulder. Inclusion criteria were studies in which clinical or laboratory methods were used to assess the static or dynamic scapular position.
Results:
A total of 29 studies were found; 14 studies were related to clinical methods of scapular assessment, and 15 studies were related to laboratory methods of scapular assessment. These methods were introduced and explained in the present study. Also, the reliability, advantages and disadvantages of each method was described.
Conclusion:
Based on the findings of this study, each of the methods of clinical and laboratory evaluation of the scapula has different applications as well as advantages and disadvantages; Therefore, one of the above methods cannot be introduced as the best method of scapular bone evaluation. It is suggested that the choice of scapular evaluation method be based on the purpose of the study, available facilities, and attention to the strengths and weaknesses of each of the mentioned methods.

Keywords

References

  1. Nijs J. Roussel N. Struyf F. Mottram S. Meeusen R. Clinical assessment of scapular positioning in patients with shoulder pain: state of the art. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2007; 30(1): 69-75.
  2. Forthomme B. Crielaard J-M. Croisier J-L. Scapular positioning in athlete’s shoulder. J Sports Med 2008; 38(5): 369-386.
  3. Clarsen B. Bahr R. Andersson SH. Munk R. Myklebust G. Reduced glenohumeral rotation, external rotation weakness and scapular dyskinesis are risk factors for shoulder injuries among elite male handball players: a prospective cohort study. Br J Sports Med 2014; 48(17): 1327-1333.
  4. Motiallah T. Moslemi HF. Ghanbari A. Amir MS. Saadat Z. The correlation between forward head posture and trigger points in trapezius muscle in subjects with chronic neck pain. Journal Of Research in Rehabilitation Sciences 2013; 8(6): 989-997. [Persian]
  5. Thigpen CA. Padua DA. Michener LA. Guskiewicz K. et al. Head and shoulder posture affect scapular mechanics   and  muscle  activity  in   overhead   tasks. J Electromyogr Kinesiol 2010; 20(4): 701-709.
  6. Ghanbari A. Ghaffarinejad F. Mohammadi F. Effect of forward shoulder posture on pulmonary capacities of women. Br J Sports Med 2008; 42(12): 622-623.
  7. Ratcliffe E. Pickering S. McLean S. Lewis J. Is there a relationship between subacromial impingement syndrome and scapular orientation? A systematic review. Br J Sports Med 2014; 48(16): 1251-1256.
  8. Struyf F. Nijs J. Baeyens JP. Mottram S. Meeusen R. [Scapular positioning and movement in unimpaired shoulders, shoulder impingement syndrome, and glenohumeral instability]. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2011; 21(3): 352-358.
  9. Sugamoto K. Harada T. Machida A. Inui H. et al. Scapulohumeral rhythm: relationship between motion velocity and rhythm. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2002; 401: 119-124.
  10. Lewis J. Green A. Reichard Z. Wright C. Scapular position: the validity of skin surface palpation. ManTher 2002; 7(1): 26-30.
  11. Borsa PA. Timmons MK. Sauers EL. Scapular-positioning patterns during humeral elevation in unimpaired shoulders. JAthl Train  2003; 38(1): 12-17.
  12. Scibek JS and Carcia CR. Assessment of scapulohumeral rhythm for scapular plane shoulder elevation using a modified digital inclinometer. World journal of orthopedics 2012; 3(6): 87-94.
  13. Watson L. Balster S. Finch C. Dalziel R. Measurement of scapula upward rotation: a reliable clinical procedure. Br J Sports Med 2005; 39(9): 599-603.
  14. Johnson MP, McClure PW, Karduna AR. New method to assess scapular upward rotation in subjects with shoulder pathology. JOrthop SportsPhys Ther 2001; 31(2): 81-89.
  15. Host HH. Scapular taping in the treatment of anterior houlder impingement. Phys Ther  1995; 75(9): 803-812.
  16. Nijs J. Roussel N. Vermeulen K. Souvereyns G. Scapular positioning in patients with shoulder pain: a study examining the reliability and clinical importance of 3 clinical tests. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2005; 86(7): 1349-1355.
  17. Struyf F. Nijs J. De Coninck K. Giunta M. et al. Clinical assessment of scapular positioning in musicians: an intertester reliability study. JAthl Train 2009; 44(5): 519-526.
  18. DiVeta J. Walker ML. Skibinski B. Relationship between performance of selected scapular muscles and scapular abduction in standing subjects. Phys Ther 1990; 70(8): 470-476.
  19. Ben Kibler W. The role of the scapula in athletic shoulder function. Am J Sports Med 1998; 26(2): 325-337.
  20. Koslow PA. Prosser LA. Strony GA. Suchecki SL. Mattingly GE. Specificity of the Lateral Scapular Side Test in Asymptomatic Competitive Athletes. JOrthop SportsPhys Ther 2003; 33(6) :331-336.
  21. Park S-Y. Interrater reliability and intrarater reliability of lateral scapular slide tests of females in their 20s. JPhys Ther Sci 2017; 29(4): 726-728.
  22. Struyf F. Nijs J. Mottram S. Roussel NA. et al. Clinical assessment of the scapula: a review of the literature. Br J Sports Med 2014; 48(11): 883-890.
  23. Shadmehr A. Sarafraz H. Blooki MH. Jalaie S. Morais N. Reliability, agreement, and diagnostic accuracy of the Modified Lateral Scapular Slide test. Man Ther 2016; 24: 18-24.
  24. O'Shea A. Kelly R. Williams S. McKenna L. Reliability and Validity of the Measurement of Scapular Position Using the Protractor Method. Phys Ther 2016; 96(4): 502-510.
  25. Wu G. Van der Helm FC. Veeger HD. Makhsous M. et al. ISB recommendation on definitions of joint coordinate systems of various joints for the reporting of human joint motion—Part II: shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand. J Biomech 2005; 38(5): 981-992.
  26. Matsumura N. Ikegami H. Nakamichi N. Nakamura T. et al. Effect of shortening deformity of the clavicle on scapular kinematics: a cadaveric study. Am J Sports Med 2010; 38(5): 1000-1006.
  27. Kim E. Park JH. Han B-R. Park HJ. et al. In Vivo Analysis of Three-Dimensional Dynamic Scapular Dyskinesis in Scapular or Clavicular Fractures. Acta Med Okayama 2017; 71(2): 151-159.
  28. Ludewig PM. Phadke V. Braman JP. Hassett DR. et al. Motion of the shoulder complex during multiplanar humeral elevation. J Bone JointSurg Am 2009; 91(2): 378-389.
  29. van Andel C. van Hutten K. Eversdijk M. Veeger D. Harlaar J. Recording scapular motion using an acromion marker cluster. GaitPostur 2009; 29(1): 123-128.
  30. Fani M. Ebrahimi S. Ghanbari A. Evaluation of scapular mobilization and comparison to pectoralis minor stretching in individuals with rounded shoulder posture: A randomized controlled trial. JBodyw Mov Ther 2020; 24(4): 367-372.
  31. Baumgarten KM. Osborn R. Schweinle WE. Eidsness J. Schelhaas D. A novel technique for determining scapulohumeral translation: a case-control and inter-rater reliability study. Int J SportsPhys Ther 2012; 7(1): 39.
  32. Hébert L. Moffet H. McFadyen B. St-Vincent G. A method of measuring three-dimensional scapular attitudes using the optotrak probing system. Clin Biomech 2000; 15(1): 1-8.
  33. Wang CH. McClure P. Pratt NE. Nobilini R. Stretching and strengthening exercises: their effect on three-dimensional scapular kinematics. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 1999; 80(8): 923-929.
  34. Lempereur M. Brochard S. Leboeuf F. Remy-Neris O. Validity and reliability of 3D marker based scapular motion analysis: a systematic review. J Biomech 2014; 47(10): 2219-2230.
  35. Prinold JA. Shaheen AF. Bull AM. Skin-fixed scapula trackers: a comparison of two dynamic methods across a range of calibration positions. J J Biomech 2011; 44(10): 2004-2007.
  36. Talkhani IS. Kelly CP. [Movement analysis of asymptomatic normal shoulders: a preliminary J Shoulder Elbow Surg 2001; 10(6): 580-584.
  37. Mandalidis D. Mc Glone B. Quigley RF. McInerney D. O'brien M. Digital fluoroscopic assessment of the scapulohumeral rhythm. Surg Radiol Anat 1999; 21(4): 241-246.
  38. Curry T. Dowdey J. Murry R. [Christensen's introduction to the physics of diagnostic radiology Lea & Febiger]. Philadelphia, PA. 1984.
  39. Matsuki K. Matsuki KO. Mu S. Yamaguchi S. et al. In vivo 3-dimensional analysis of scapular kinematics: comparison of dominant and nondominant shoulders. J Shoulder Elbow Surg 2011; 20(4):659- 665.
  40. Park J-Y. Hwang J-T. Kim K-M. Makkar D. et al. How to assess scapular dyskinesis precisely: 3-dimensional wing computer tomography-a new diagnostic modality. J Shoulder Elbow Surg 2013; 22(8): 1084-1091.
  41. Zhu Z. Massimini DF. Wang G. Warner JJ. Li G. [The accuracy and repeatability of an automatic 2D–3D fluoroscopic image-model registration technique for determining shoulder joint kinematics]. Med Eng Phys 2012; 34(9): 1303-1309.
  42. Massimini DF. Warner JJ. Li G. [Non-invasive determination of coupled motion of the scapula and humerus—an in-vitro validation]. J Biomech 2011; 44(3): 408-412.
  43. Lee B. Kim D. Jang Y. Jin H. [Three-dimensional in vivo scapular kinematics and scapulohumeral rhythm: a comparison between active and passive motion]. J Shoulder Elbow Surg 2020; 29(1): 185-194.
Journal of Paramedical Sciences & Rehabilitation
Volume 10, Issue 4
March 2022
Pages 100-113

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics