This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Testing

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Serratus anterior can be tested in a number of ways:

  • instruct the patient to stand from just less than their arms' length away from a wall. Ask them to push against the wall. The digitations of the muscle are often seen and felt against the lateral thoracic wall, particularly in young, athletic subjects.
  • ask the patient to do a 'press-up' exercise; examine the same area

For both tests, look at the medial (vertebral) border of the scapula on both sides. Weakness of serratus anterior will result in 'winging' of the scapula.

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.