The shoulder: Resisted abduction under traction

Technique:

The arm is as relaxed as possible and hangs down along the body.
The examiner first performs a distal traction.
During the traction he asks and resists the abduction.
The traction slightly moves the head of the humerus in a caudal direction.
This precludes a narrowing of the subacromial space during the contraction of the deltoid muscle.