American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) Shoulder Score

The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) Standardized Shoulder Assessment Form is an instrument designed to comprehensively evaluate shoulder function through pain assessment and activities of daily living (ADL) limitations.

Originally published in 1994 in the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Shoulder Score (ASES) was designed to assess the condition of the shoulder, regardless of disease pathology.

The ASES is a composite instrument, requiring both a physician assessment and a patient-completed portion; however, it is commonly presented as solely the patient-reported survey.

The form consists of two main components: a pain questionnaire assessing nocturnal pain, medication use, and pain intensity (0-10 scale), and a 10-item ADL section evaluating difficulty with functional tasks including dressing, sleeping, personal hygiene, work, and leisure activities.

Scoring methodology produces three results: Pain Score (0-50 points), ADL Score (0-50 points), and ASES Total Score (0-100 points), with higher scores indicating better shoulder function and lower disability.

This validated instrument provides quantifiable measurement of shoulder-specific outcomes suitable for baseline assessment, monitoring treatment progress, and evaluating intervention efficacy in clinical practice.

Original Literature:

• Richards, Robin R., et al. “A standardized method for the assessment of shoulder function.” Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery 3.6 (1994): 347-352.

Additional Literature:

• Michener, Lori A., Philip W. McClure, and Brian J. Sennett. “American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Shoulder Assessment Form, patient self-report section: reliability, validity, and responsiveness.” Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery 11.6 (2002): 587-594.

• Schmidt, Stefanie, et al. “Evaluation of shoulder-specific patient-reported outcome measures: a systematic and standardized comparison of available evidence.” Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery 23.3 (2014): 434-444.