SynthesisJournal of shoulder and elbow surgery2017
A practical, evidence-based, comprehensive (PEC) physical examination for diagnosing pathology of the long head of the biceps.
Synthesis in Journal of shoulder and elbow surgery, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 24 citations in OpenAlex.
- Ultrasound findings and clinical testing for preoperative diagnosis of long head of the biceps pathology.Journal of experimental orthopaedics · 2025Article
- Codman maneuver for biceps tendonitis: a prospective evaluation of a forgotten examination maneuver.JSES international · 2025Article
- MRI findings and clinical testing for preoperative diagnosis of long head of the biceps pathology.Journal of experimental orthopaedics · 2024Article
- Factors associated with long head of the biceps tendon tear severity and predictive insights for grade II tears in rotator cuff surgery.Clinics in shoulder and elbow · 2024Article
- The long head of biceps at the shoulder: a scoping review.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2023Article
- Evaluation of Resident Palpation Skills in Foot and Ankle Anatomic Structures Using Bedside Ultrasound.HCA healthcare journal of medicine · 2020Article
- Injuries of the Biceps and Superior Labral Complex in Overhead Athletes.Current reviews in musculoskeletal medicine · 2019Review
- The "Double Lasso-Loop" Technique Used for Arthroscopic Proximal Biceps Tenodesis.Arthroscopy techniques · 2019Article
- Diagnosis of long head of biceps tendinopathy in rotator cuff tear patients: correlation of imaging and arthroscopy data.International orthopaedics · 2018Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundClinical examination of the shoulder joint has gained attention as clinicians aim to use an evidence-based examination of the biceps tendon, with the desire for a proper diagnosis while minimizing costly imaging procedures. The purpose of this study is to create a decision tree analysis that enables the development of a clinical algorithm for diagnosing long head of biceps (LHB) pathology.
methodsA literature review of Level I and II diagnostic studies was conducted to extract characteristics of clinical tests for LHB pathology through a systematic review of PubMed, Medline, Ovid, and Cochrane Review databases. Tests were combined in series and parallel to determine sensitivities and specificities, and positive and negative likelihood ratios were determined for each combination using a subjective pretest probability. The "gold standard" for diagnosis in all included studies was arthroscopy or arthrotomy.
resultsThe optimal testing modality was use of the uppercut test combined with the tenderness to palpation of the biceps tendon test. This combination achieved a sensitivity of 88.4% when performed in parallel and a specificity of 93.8% when performed in series. These tests used in combination optimize post-test probability accuracy greater than any single individual test.
conclusionPerforming the uppercut test and biceps groove tenderness to palpation test together has the highest sensitivity and specificity of known physical examinations maneuvers to aid in the diagnosis of LHB pathology compared with diagnostic arthroscopy (practical, evidence-based, comprehensive examination). A decision tree analysis aides in the practical, evidence-based, comprehensive examination diagnostic accuracy post-testing based on the ordinal scale pretest probability.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.