ABSTRACT
Patients may complain of a feeling of abnormal shoulder motion, which might also be decreased. Additionally, Fisher and Gorelick
thought that nerve compression might be an unsuspected component of shoulder pain. Clinically, dorsal scapular nerve injury produces a mild form of scapular winging in the resting position. The medial border and inferior scapular spine are lifted off the chest wall. Several tests can further illustrate the weakness of the rhomboid and levator scapulae muscles. Patients will have trouble or find it impossible to try to bring their scapulae together. Additionally, forward elevation of the arm will lift the medial border of the scapula and pull the inferior angle forward off the chest wall; therefore, observation through a range of motion is key to diagnosis. Electromyographic analysis will demonstrate injury to the rhomboid and levator scapulae muscles. An EMG/nerve conduction study is diagnostic.
