Dropping Sign is performed with the arm in which position?

• A. Arm at side with 45° internal rotation and 90° elbow flexion
• B. Arm at side with 0° internal rotation
• C. Arm flexed 90° and externally rotated
• D. Arm abducted 90°

Answer: (A)

The Dropping Sign is used to assess the integrity of the supraspinatus by testing the arm’s ability to hold a position against gravity. Placing the arm at the side with about 45 degrees of internal rotation and the elbow flexed to 90 degrees positions the humeral head in a way that the supraspinatus has to eccentrically control the arm as gravity acts. If the supraspinatus is torn or markedly weak, it can’t maintain that control and the arm will drop suddenly when released, producing a positive sign. Other positions either don’t load the supraspinatus in the same way or allow compensation by other muscles, making the sign less reliable.