The Simple Shoulder Test - a patient self-assessment validated in multiple languages

The Simple Shoulder Test is a validated and practical instrument for the patient self-assessment of shoulder comfort and function that can be administered in person, by mail, electronically or on paper. The patient is asked to respond  “Yes” or “No” to 12 questions that reflect important aspects of shoulder function.

1. Is your shoulder comfortable with your arm at rest by your side?
   
2. Does your shoulder allow you to sleep comfortably?
   
3. Can you reach the small of your back to tuck in your shirt?
   
4. Can you place your hand behind your head with the elbow straight out to the side?
   
5. Can you place a coin on a shelf at the level of your shoulder without bending your elbow?
   
6. Can you lift one pound (full pint container) to the level of your shoulder without bending your elbow?
   
7. Can you lift eight pounds (full gallon container) to the level of your shoulder without bending your elbow?
   
8. Can you carry twenty pounds at your side with the affected extremity?
   
9. Do you think you can toss a softball under-hand twenty yards with the affected extremity?
   
10. Do you think you can toss a softball over-hand twenty yards with the affected extremity?
    
11. Can you wash the back of your opposite shoulder with the affected extremity?
    
12. Would your shoulder allow you to work full-time at your regular job?
    

The simplicity of this test facilitates its translation into other languages. It has now been validated in Portuguese, Persian, Spanish, Dutch, Italian, and Lithuanian as shown below, enabling cross cultural comparisons.

Validation of the Simple Shoulder Test in a Portuguese-Brazilian Population. Is the Latent Variable Structure and Validation of the Simple Shoulder Test Stable across Cultures? (see this link)

Simple shoulder test and Oxford Shoulder Score: Persian translation and cross-cultural validation (see this link)

Validation and reliability of a Spanish version of Simple Shoulder Test (SST-Sp) (see this link)

Validation of the Dutch version of the Simple Shoulder Test (see this link)

Italian cross-cultural adaptation and validation of three different scales for the evaluation of shoulder pain and dysfunction after neck dissection: University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA) Shoulder Scale, Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) and Simple Shoulder Test (SST) (see this link).

Rylisˇkis S, Piesˇina E, Kocius M, Marx RG (2008) Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric properties of the Lithuanian version of the simple shoulder test. Acta med lituanica 15(3):163–168

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