The Study
Does changing the plane of abduction influence shoulder muscle recruitment patterns in healthy individuals?
This study shows what happened in 14 healthy people when they moved their arms in different directions. It can tell us if muscle activity was different, but it can't prove that the direction caused the difference.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
This study checked how different arm-raising directions use shoulder muscles in healthy people. The muscles worked in similar ways no matter which direction the arm was raised within a 30-degree range around the shoulder blade.
Where does this study sit?
Systematic Reviews & Meta-analyses
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control
Max 58Cross-Sectional
Max 44Case Reports & Series
Max 30Expert Opinion
Max 528 / 100
Quality score
Detailed descriptions of individual patients or small groups. Valuable for identifying new conditions or side effects, but cannot establish generalizable conclusions.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1These small changes in muscle use may matter for exercise design or rehab, but overall movement patterns stay consistent.
- 2Middle deltoid muscle worked 5% harder in the coronal plane, 4% less when raised 30° in front of the shoulder blade.
- 3Upper trapezius worked 6% less in the forward-shifted plane.
- 4Muscle patterns stayed the same (ICC ≥ 0.87).
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Manual therapy
Year
2016
Authors
Darren Reed, I. Cathers, M. Halaki, K. Ginn
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.