[Clinical examination of lesions of the rotator cuff]

Although unable to reach any formal conclusions, clinical examination remains an essential prerequisite in the assessment of a rotator cuff lesion, as it guides the diagnosis, evaluates the severity of the functional impairment and often the extent of the lesions and eliminates the differential diagnoses. The principal clinical tests of shoulder conflict are recalled, but as they are painful, they should only be performed at the end of a complete clinical examination.