The Lindgren Test is used to evaluate which syndrome?

• A. Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
• B. Rotator Cuff Tear
• C. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• D. Glenohumeral Instability

Answer: (A)

The Lindgren test is a provocative exam used to detect thoracic outlet syndrome by stressing the neurovascular bundle as it passes through the thoracic outlet. By placing the arm in a position that narrows the space between the clavicle and first rib and can engage the scalene muscles, this test can reproduce ischemic, neurologic, or vascular symptoms if there is compression. A positive response—distal numbness, tingling, weakness, or a diminished pulse—points to thoracic outlet syndrome. This setting differs from issues like a rotator cuff tear, which mainly causes shoulder pain and weakness during specific shoulder movements; carpal tunnel syndrome, which involves numbness in the hand rather than the shoulder outlet region; and glenohumeral instability, which centers on abnormal shoulder joint translation rather than outlet compression.