Purpose of Speed’s Test: To detect inflammation or lesions in the biceps/labral complex (1).

Patient position: Sitting or Standing upright with the affected arm relaxed by the side.

Examiner position: Standing beside the patient’s affected side.

Procedure: First, position the affected shoulder in 90 degree-flexion and full external rotation (1). Next, place the elbow in extension and the forearm in supination (1). Ask the patient to oppose the manual resistance applied over the distal end of the forearm in a downward direction (1).

Outcome: The test is positive if there is a reproduction of the patient’s shoulder pain (1, 2).

Additional Notes: A combination of speed’s test and upper cut test was better at detecting lesions in the biceps (3). To detect a superior labral anterior-posterior lesion, clinicians must choose to perform speed’s test after active compression and crank tests (4).

Reference:

1. Bennett WF. Specificity of the Speed’s test: arthroscopic technique for evaluating the biceps tendon at the level of the bicipital groove. Arthroscopy: the journal of arthroscopic & related surgery: official publication of the Arthroscopy Association of North America and the International Arthroscopy Association. 1998;14(8):789-96.
2. Holtby R, Razmjou H. Accuracy of the Speed’s and Yergason’s tests in detecting biceps pathology and SLAP lesions: comparison with arthroscopic findings. Arthroscopy: the journal of arthroscopic & related surgery: official publication of the Arthroscopy Association of North America and the International Arthroscopy Association. 2004;20(3):231-6.
3. Ben Kibler W, Sciascia AD, Hester P, Dome D, Jacobs C. Clinical utility of traditional and new tests in the diagnosis of biceps tendon injuries and superior labrum anterior and posterior lesions in the shoulder. The American journal of sports medicine. 2009;37(9):1840-7.
4. Meserve BB, Cleland JA, Boucher TR. A meta-analysis examining clinical test utility for assessing superior labral anterior posterior lesions. The American journal of sports medicine. 2009;37(11):2252-8.