Drop Arm Sign – Shoulder Rotator Cuff Special Test

The drop arm sign is often used to diagnose a rotator cuff tear. The examiner brings the arm to 90 degrees of abduction and instructs the patient to maintain the position after they let go. For those with a rotator cuff tear, they will have difficulty maintaining the position and can not hold their arm up against gravity. The arm will either drop, or the person will shrug their shoulder up.

The test is not very sensitive but is very specific. That tells me that if this test is positive, it’s likely a larger rotator cuff tear.

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