Clinical Examination of the Shoulder

Successful treatment of shoulder diseases and injuries is determined by the combination of the result of physical examination of the shoulder and diagnostic imaging. Overhead and contact sports athletes often complain of shoulder problems induced not only by micro- or macro trauma, but also by sport specific training-induced changes in biomechanics of the shoulder girdle. The accurate differentiation of shoulder pathology requires structured clinical evaluation, which can be distinguished in combination of medical history, inspection, palpation, range of motion and various diagnostic tests. This article presents the clinical examination of the shoulder, focused on sports injuries.