Purpose of Inferior Drawer or John Feagin Test (anteroinferior glenohumeral): To test if there is an anteroinferior instability of the glenohumeral joint.

Patient position: Standing or High Sitting.

Examiner position: Stand facing the patient’s affected side.

Procedure:

Abduct the patient’s arm passively up to 90 degrees and place the distal part of the patient’s arm on your shoulder (i.e., place the patient’s forearm/wrist on the examiner’s shoulder while maintaining full elbow extension and shoulder internal rotation).

Hold the proximal/mid part of the patient’s humerus using both of your hands and move the head of the humerus anteroinferiorly (1, 2).

Outcome:

This test is positive if there is a translation of the humeral head anteroinferiorly, and/or a widening (or sulcus (3)) between the acromion process and the humeral head. A positive test indicates an anteroinferior instability of the glenohumeral joint or an insufficiency of the inferior glenohumeral ligament.

Additional Notes: The amount of anteroinferior translation of the humeral head on the glenoid cavity can be graded using the same grading scale as the anterior load and shift test (2).

Grades of Glenohumeral Translation for the John Feagin test & anterior load-and-shift test (2):

Grade	Descriptors
I	Humeral head riding up to the edge of the glenoid, but not over the glenoid rim
II	Humeral head riding over the edge of the glenoid, spontaneously relocates
III	Humeral head riding over the edge of the glenoid, remains dislocated

Similarly, inferior laxity of the glenohumeral joint can be tested using an inferiorly directed force during this test (2, 4). This is called as abduction inferior stability test (4).

Reference:

1. Rockwood Jr C. Subluxations and dislocations about the shoulder. Fractures in adults. 1984:722-805.
2. Arciero RA, Cordasco FA, Provencher MT. Shoulder and Elbow Injuries in Athletes: Prevention, Treatment and Return to Sport E-Book: Elsevier Health Sciences; 2017.
3. McCluskey III GM. Classification and diagnosis of glenohumeral instability in athletes. Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy Review. 2000;8(2):158-69.
4. Itoi E, Motzkin NE, Morrey BF, An K-N. Scapular inclination and inferior stability of the shoulder. Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery. 1992;1(3):131-9.