Simple Shoulder Test

The Simple Shoulder Test (SST) is a 12-item functional assessment instrument designed to evaluate shoulder disability across multiple domains including comfort, range of motion, strength, and activities of daily living. The Simple Shoulder Test (SST) was originally published in 1993 in the conference proceedings of the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) Symposium Series The shoulder; A balance of mobility and stability.

Each item is scored dichotomously (Yes=1, No=0), with total scores ranging from 0 to 12, where higher scores indicate better shoulder function.

The SST is valuable for initial assessment, treatment planning, and monitoring functional recovery in patients with shoulder pathology. It is sensitive to clinically meaningful changes and provides rapid, objective measurement of shoulder disability suitable for busy clinical settings and outcome tracking.

Original Literature:

• Lippitt, S. B., Harryman, D. T., & Matsen, F. A. (1993). A practical tool for evaluating shoulder function: The Simple Shoulder Test. In F. A. Matsen, F. H. Fu, & R. J. Hawkins (Eds.), The shoulder: A balance of mobility and stability (pp. 501–518). American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Validation Literature:

• Godfrey, Jenna, et al. “Reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the simple shoulder test: psychometric properties by age and injury type.” Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery 16.3 (2007): 260-267.

Additional Literature:

• Beaton, Dorcas, and Robin R. Richards. “Assessing the reliability and responsiveness of 5 shoulder questionnaires.” Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery 7.6 (1998): 565-572.