Which test is NOT used to assess shoulder pathology but is used to evaluate sacroiliac joint dysfunction?

Which test is NOT used to assess shoulder pathology but is used to evaluate sacroiliac joint dysfunction?

• A. Gaenslen's test
• B. Neer's test
• C. Hawkins-Kennedy
• D. Drop Arm

Answer: (A)

Gaenslen's test is designed to provoke pain from the sacroiliac joints, not the shoulder. By placing one leg in extreme hip flexion while the other leg hangs off the table, it creates stress across the SI joints on both sides. A positive result, usually pain in the sacral/low back region, points to sacroiliac joint dysfunction. The other tests focus on shoulder pathology: Neer’s and Hawkins-Kennedy are impingement tests that stress the subacromial space and can reproduce pain when the rotator cuff tendons are irritated; the Drop Arm test assesses the integrity of the supraspinatus by requiring a smooth, controlled lowering of the arm, with failure suggesting a rotator cuff tear. So Gaenslen’s test is the one that targets sacroiliac dysfunction rather than the shoulder.

Gaenslen's test is designed to provoke pain from the sacroiliac joints, not the shoulder. By placing one leg in extreme hip flexion while the other leg hangs off the table, it creates stress across the SI joints on both sides. A positive result, usually pain in the sacral/low back region, points to sacroiliac joint dysfunction. The other tests focus on shoulder pathology: Neer’s and Hawkins-Kennedy are impingement tests that stress the subacromial space and can reproduce pain when the rotator cuff tendons are irritated; the Drop Arm test assesses the integrity of the supraspinatus by requiring a smooth, controlled lowering of the arm, with failure suggesting a rotator cuff tear. So Gaenslen’s test is the one that targets sacroiliac dysfunction rather than the shoulder.