Rhomboid Strength Test | Shoulder & Scapula Muscle Assessment

The rhomboids consist of 2 functionally similar muscles, the rhomboid minor and the rhomboid major. This wiki will show you how to test the rhomboids for strength as part of shoulder and scapula muscle assessment.

To conduct the test, have your patient in prone lying position with the test arm behind the body so the hand is at the height of his opposite back pocket.
Then place your index finger along and under the medial border of the scapula while asking the patient to push the shoulder forward slightly against resistance to relax the trapezius.
Then ask your patient to raise the forearm and hand away from the body.

If the rhomboids are normal, the index finger is pushed away from under the scapula, otherwise, we have a positive test.

If you are interested in muscle strength assessment of other muscles in the shoulder region, check out our wiki posts below:

• Trapezius Strength Test
• Latissimus Dorsi Strength Test
• Serratus Anterior Strength Test

Magee DJ. Orthopedic physical assessment-E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences; 2014 Mar 25.