Execution
- 1Select the measurement method: goniometer / inclinometer angle reproduction or a laser pointer attached to the hand or index finger.
- 2Position the patient standing or sitting at a fixed distance from a wall or target board and establish the target shoulder position, commonly 90° flexion or another clinically relevant angle.
- 3Let the patient practise or feel the target position, then returns the arm to the starting position.
- 4Remove visual guidance or asks the patient to close the eyes and reproduce the target shoulder position.
- 5Record angular error or laser-target distance over repeated trials and compare sides or baseline-to-follow-up change.
Positive outcome
A positive impairment finding is excessive joint repositioning error compared with the opposite side, normative expectation, or the patient’s previous baseline. There is no single universal diagnostic cutoff, so interpretation depends on method, target angle, symptoms, and repeated-trial consistency.
Studies
| Study | Reliability | Sn | Sp | LR+ | LR− |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balke et al. (2011) | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Vafadar et al. (2016) | laser pointer and inclinometer reliable | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Ager et al. (2017) | systematic review | NA | NA | NA | NA |
CommentJoint position sense is an impairment measure for proprioceptive control, especially relevant in instability, overhead sport, fatigue, and persistent shoulder pain. The method is highly protocol-dependent, and laser, inclinometer, goniometer, and dynamometer protocols are not interchangeable. Treat findings as baseline and progress measures rather than diagnostic confirmation of a specific pathology.