Test: Upper Trapezius Length Testing

Video Link

Background/Purpose

Procedure

This test is performed in two parts.
The subject starts off seated on a stool without a backrest, feet flat on the floor, neutral trunk posture, head straight and facing forward with arms resting at side.
The clinician stands behind the subject and laterally flexes the subjects neck away from the side being tested and rotates the head toward the ipsilateral side while controlling the ipsilateral shoulder.
Second, the clinician lifts the ipsilateral extremity by grasping the forearm under the elbow while the elbow was at approximately 90° flexion and pronates.
The test result is positive and recorded as “fail” if it is visually observable further motion of the head occurs after lifting the upper extremity, as lifting the arm places the upper trapezius on slack and allows further motion if the trapezius is the cause of limited motion (Manske, Reiman, & Stovak, 2004). Intra-rater test–retest reliability of this method calculated from pilot data collected from forty arms revealed substantial agreement: Kappa=0.72 (p<0.001), Standard error=0.114, 95%CI (0.498, 0.945).
Performed: Unilaterally

Dialog

Upper trapezius length testing.

Criteria

• No additional head/neck motion.
• No pain

Measurement

LOINC Code

0

Scale/Grading

Pass/Fail