Abstract
The aim was to clarify the relationship between the anterior apprehension tests at three different abduction angles and the intraarticular pathologies. We retrospectively studied 110 subjects diagnosed with recurrent anterior dislocation of the shoulder. The anterior apprehension test was performed with the arm at 60, 90, and 120 degrees of abduction. We compared the results of the apprehension test with the conditions of SGHL, MGHL, the existence of SLAP lesion and HAGL lesion, the extent of Bankart lesion, the sizes of the osseous defect of the glenoid and the Hill-Sachs lesion. There was no significant correlation between the results of the apprehension test and the extent of Bankart lesion, the condition of MGHL, and the existence of SLAP lesion and HAGL lesion. The SGHL existed in all cases with a negative apprehension test at 60 degrees of abduction, whereas it was torn or absent in 17% of subjects with positive apprehension at 60 degrees. There was a significant difference between two groups (p = 0.011). There were no correlations between the results of the apprehension test and the sizes of the glenoid defect and the Hill-Sachs lesion. The anterior apprehension test performed at 60 degrees of abduction might reflect the integrity of the SGHL.
