The effects of training the humeral rotators on arm elevation in the scapular plane

Context: It has been hypothesized that the fibers of the infraspinatus and subscapularis superior to the glenohumeral axis of rotation contribute directly to arm elevation. Objective: To test this hypothesis by assessing the impact of 5 weeks of concentric isokinetic humeral-rotator training in a modified neutral position on scapular-plane arm-elevation peak torque. Design: Prospective, pretest/posttest with control group. Participants: 24 female and 6 male noninjured college students (N = 30). Main Outcome Measures: Scapular-plane-elevation peak torque at 60, 180, and 300°/s. Results: Repeated-measures ANOVA indicated no difference in peak torque between groups at any of the angular velocities tested (P < .05) Conclusions: 5 weeks of concentric isokinetic humeral-rotator training did not significantly increase scapular-plane-elevation peak torque.