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Speed's Test

Speed's Test

Name
Purpose
Description
Sensitivity, Specificity
Validity, Reliability
Likelihood Ratio +/-
Speed’s Test (Biceps or straight arm test)
This test looks for biceps muscle or tendon pathology
“The patient’s arm is forward flexed to 90 degrees and then the patient is asked to resist an eccentric movement into extension, first with the arm supinated, then pronated. A positive test elicits increased tenderness in the bicipital groove, especially with the arm supinated.”[1]
Sensitivity
90%[2]
Specificity
14%2
 
+1.02
-0.712


[1] Magee DJ. Orthopedic Physical Assessment: 5th Edition. St. Louis, MO: Saunders Elsevier;2008.
[2] Bennet WF. Specificity of the Speed’s Test: Arthroscopic technique for evaluating the biceps tendon at the level of the bicipital groove.Arthroscopy.1998;14:789-796.