[Assessment of shoulder function]

In 1980, a major study began on the recovery of shoulder function following injuries of various kinds. In order to try and assess shoulder function and it's recovery following injury, it became apparent that diagnostic assessments of the shoulder were of little value, and the Author worked on designing a method of shoulder functional assessment what would allow easy and repeated assessment of shoulder function at various intervals following injury. This method of shoulder functional assessment is now used as a standard practice in many centres, throughout the world, and this paper aims to present the clinical method of functional assessment, as used by the Author, in plotting progress following injury over a number of years. The method has been extensively used by the author and others over the past ten years, in studying the recovery of shoulder function in different disease processes, after injuries and after various treatments, including surgery.