Clinically Feasible Quantitative Assessments of Dynamic Scapular Motion: A Scoping Review.
Will Pitt, Michael S Crowell, John S Mason and 1 others
PMID 40182900WHAT IT FOUND
Clinically feasible tools can measure some scapular motion during movement, but how consistent and accurate they are varied widely.
Upward rotation was measured most often, and no study objectively measured scapular motion during standard functional tests.
Key findings
01The review included 62 studies that used clinically feasible methods to measure dynamic scapular motion, involving 3,210 participants.
02Reported reliability varied from poor to excellent, and most results were less than excellent.
03Scapular upward rotation was measured in 85.4% of studies, but no studies provided objective clinical measures of scapular motion during standard functional performance assessments.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The review did not assess the quality of the included studies. The authors' definitions of dynamic motion and clinical feasibility may have excluded studies that used less common or more complex methods. Reliability varied widely, and most reported results were less than excellent. The tools were used mostly to measure upward rotation, not continuous multiplanar motion during functional tasks. No studies provided objective clinical measures during standard functional performance assessments.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this review as showing that inclinometer or goniometer scores can reliably diagnose scapular dyskinesis or guide return to sport. The included studies used different tools and protocols, reliability varied, and no studies measured scapular motion objectively during standard functional tests.