Elbow Flexion Test

Elbow flexion test
Test Procedure:
• Therapist holds the client’s elbow passively flexed and supinated for 60 seconds (wrist neutral)
(Some add wrist extension to increase the sensitivity of the test, but this would decrease the specificity as it would also compress the ulnar nerve at Guyon’s canal, and compress the median nerve in the carpal tunnel.)
Positive results:
• Increased paresthesia (numbness or tingling) in ulnar 1 ½ digits of hand
Negative Results:
• No sensation changes
Implications of positive test result:
• Cubital tunnel syndrome
• The examiner can also record when the patient noticed increasing N/T as a way of grading the result.
Psychometric Properties: (Novak, Lee, Mackinnon, & Lay, 1994)
Sensitivity: 0.75 Specificity: 0.99
LR+: 75 LR-: 0.25
Novak, C. B., Lee, G. W., Mackinnon, S. E., & Lay, L. (1994). Provocative testing for cubital tunnel syndrome. J Hand Surg Am, 19(5), 817-820. doi:10.1016/0363-5023(94)90193-7