Yergason's Test: Discrepancies in Description and Implications for Diagnosing Biceps Subluxation

Abstract

Yergason described the case of a woman with bicipital pain that was confirmed with isolated forearm supination. Since publication of this respective case report in 1931, orthopedic assessment textbooks have provided a wide range of descriptions for Yergason's Test and what a positive sign implicates. Vast differences in hand placement, along with the vernacular for shoulder, forearm, and elbow motions, have been associated with Yergason's Test. Many authors associate pain with the maneuver as a diagnosis for a rupture of the transverse humeral ligament (THL) and subsequent subluxation of the long head of the biceps tendon (LBT). Interestingly, many now believe that the THL is not a distinct ligament; rather, support of the LBT within the bicipital groove occurs from a fibrous extension of the subscapularis tendon. Thus, evaluation of the subscapularis when a subluxing LBT is suspected is critical. The discrepancies of Yergason's Test among orthopedic assessment textbooks shall be summarized along with a brief review of contemporary views on how to clinically evaluate the subluxing LBT. Until consensus is reached on hand placement and joint movements to provoke subluxation of the LBT, Yergason's Test should be removed from instructional materials and the Board of Certification examination for athletic trainers, if applicable.