Forces and Translation Distance During an Inferior Glide of the Shoulder

Forces and Translation Distance During an Inferior Glide of the Shoulder in Healthy Subjects Measured With the Novel Pliance Glove and Ultrasound Imaging

This study evaluates the force and translation distance in the GH joint during a manual inferior glide of the humerus.

There has been limited research on how the variance of force affects MT outcomes and what the best practices of MT should be. No specific force threshold necessary to achieve a predetermined translational distance within the joint has been quantified within the literature. The purpose of this study was to quantify the amount of force necessary to perform an inferior glide to the glenohumeral joint and reach to end-range. A secondary aim was to determine the impact of co-variables, such as gender, height, weight, and age, on the amount of force required to translate the humeral head within the glenohumeral joint. Musculoskeletal Ultrasound imaging using the GE LogiQe was used to measure the translation of the humeral head. The manipulation force was measured using the Novel Pliance Glove device and software.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy volunteers
• Able to read the English language fluently

Exclusion Criteria:

• a history of injury of the right shoulder
• right shoulder surgery
• presence of shoulder pain
• comorbidities affecting natural ROM within the dominant shoulder