A Comparison of Resting Scapular Posture and the Davies Closed Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Stability Test.
John D Heick, Jenna Haggerty, Robert C Manske
PMID 34123535WHAT IT FOUND
Resting scapular posture did not predict performance on the Davies Closed Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Stability Test in healthy young adults.
A second-year student could identify scapular types as reliably as an experienced therapist. Static posture alone does not explain dynamic stability test results.
Key findings
01Resting Kibler scapular classification did not significantly affect CKCUEST power scores when body mass index was controlled for.
02Inter-rater reliability for identifying Kibler scapular types between a student physical therapist and an experienced physical therapist was excellent.
03The study found no association between static resting scapular position and dynamic upper extremity stability performance in healthy participants.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included only healthy young adults, so the findings may not apply to patients with current shoulder pathology or those undergoing rehabilitation. Self-reported shoulder injury history was used for exclusion, so undiagnosed musculoskeletal conditions may have been present. The order of testing was fixed (observation then CKCUEST), which does not mimic variable clinical settings. Female participants could choose a modified push-up position, though this applied to only 5% of the sample. The power score calculation used a standard 68% body weight assumption, which the authors note may not be accurate for all sexes or ages.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that a normal resting scapular posture guarantees good dynamic upper extremity stability, or that an abnormal resting posture explains poor CKCUEST performance. The study found no association between these two measures in healthy adults, suggesting they assess different aspects of shoulder function.