title: Clinical and imaging assessment for superior labrum anterior and posterior lesions.
abstract: In the evaluation of the painful shoulder, especially in the overhead athlete, diagnosing superior labrum anterior and posterior (SLAP) lesions continues to challenge the clinician because of 1) the lack of specificity of examination tests for SLAP; 2) a paucity of well-controlled studies of those tests; and 3) the presence of coexisting confounding abnormalities. Some evidence indicates that multiple positive tests increase the likelihood that a SLAP lesion is present, but no one physical examination finding conclusively makes that diagnosis. The goals of this article were to review the physical examination techniques for making the diagnosis of SLAP lesions, to evaluate the clinical usefulness of those examinations, and to review the role of magnetic resonance imaging in making the diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Shoulder Surgery, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA. ehenze1@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Edward G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: McFarland
authors.forename: Miho J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garzon-Muvdi
authors.forename: Xiaofeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Steve A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Petersen
mesh_terms: D001182:Arthroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000379:methods*; D011859:Radiography; D000070599:Shoulder Injuries; D012785:Shoulder Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*