Kibler introduced the anterior slide test, a bedside maneuver to detect superior glenoid labral (SLAP) tears in throwing athletes. The study tested five athlete groups with arthroscopically confirmed pathology to measure how well the test predicts a superior labral tear. It was the first labral exam maneuver reported with actual sensitivity and specificity data.
When a throwing athlete presents with anterior shoulder pain, a positive anterior slide test should raise your suspicion for a SLAP lesion. The key teaching point is how to use the numbers. High specificity (91.5%) means a positive test rarely lies, so it rules IN the diagnosis. Moderate sensitivity (78.4%) means a negative test does not clear the labrum.
Before this paper, several labral maneuvers existed (Andrews clunk, biceps stress) but none were reported with statistical accuracy. Kibler was the first to attach real numbers to a labral test.
The mechanism is worth knowing for boards: the test loads the biceps anchor and superior labrum by driving the humeral head anterosuperiorly. That also explains its blind spot, since a tear away from the biceps anchor can read falsely negative. Use it as one piece of the exam, never as your sole criterion, and confirm with imaging or arthroscopy.
Kibler introduced the anterior slide test, a bedside maneuver to detect superior glenoid labral (SLAP) tears in throwing athletes. The study tested five athlete groups with arthroscopically confirmed pathology to measure how well the test predicts a superior labral tear. It was the first labral exam maneuver reported with actual sensitivity and specificity data.
When a throwing athlete presents with anterior shoulder pain, a positive anterior slide test should raise your suspicion for a SLAP lesion. The key teaching point is how to use the numbers. High specificity (91.5%) means a positive test rarely lies, so it rules IN the diagnosis. Moderate sensitivity (78.4%) means a negative test does not clear the labrum.
Before this paper, several labral maneuvers existed (Andrews clunk, biceps stress) but none were reported with statistical accuracy. Kibler was the first to attach real numbers to a labral test.
The mechanism is worth knowing for boards: the test loads the biceps anchor and superior labrum by driving the humeral head anterosuperiorly. That also explains its blind spot, since a tear away from the biceps anchor can read falsely negative. Use it as one piece of the exam, never as your sole criterion, and confirm with imaging or arthroscopy.