Program

Athletic Training M.S.

Year Approved

2022

First Advisor

Dolieslager, Jamie

Second Reader

Megan Nelson;

Abstract

Background: Superior Labral Anterior-Posterior (SLAP) lesions are a common shoulder injury in overhead athletes that can be difficult to evaluate clinically. With increasing participation in athletics, useful diagnostic tests are needed for Athletic Trainers who are evaluating potential SLAP injuries. Due to the complicated nature of the injury, many clinical tests have been introduced but few are considered to have significant diagnostic value. There has been little research done recently to assess the clinical utility of specific tests to predict SLAP lesions. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine whether the Active Compression Test has better clinical utility compared to the Dynamic Labral Shear Test (DLST) in predicting SLAP lesions in female overhead athletes. Results: Eighteen scholarly articles were selected and critically reviewed to answer the clinical question. Each article was appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) questionnaire and/or the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist. Studies selected were placed into a matrix adapted from the Evidence-Based Practice Literature Matrix by Fineout-Overholt (2010) and articles ranking Excellent-Fair were used in this study. Conclusion: The Active Compression Test and the DLST both have sensitivity values that are high and specificity values that are relatively low. It is not advisable to use a single diagnostic tool for identifying SLAP lesions, however combining a cluster of tests may be more clinically productive. Implications for Practice: More research is needed to assess clinical utility of the many clinical tests for SLAP lesions. This may provide the patient with a more efficient diagnostic timeline, reduce cost, and make the Athletic Trainer more of a value during initial injury evaluation for potential SLAP lesions. Keywords: SLAP lesion, diagnosis, overhead athlete, female, Active Compression Test, O’Brien’s, Dynamic Labral Shear Test, O’Driscoll, clinical special test, evaluation, and utility

Degree Name

Athletic Training M.S.

Document Type

Masterʼs thesis

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