SALT Test | Elbow Laxity Assessment | Intra-articular Findings

The SALT Test is an orthopedic test for elbow laxity & intra-articular findings in patients with recalcitrant lateral epicondylalgia.

Intra-articular findings and minor elbow instability due to patholaxity are possibly contributing factors to lateral epicondylalgia. The gold standard here is elbow arthroscopy.
The authors of this test aimed to find a non-invasive way to assess whether intra-articular pathology or ligamentous laxity is present.

According to Arrigoni et al. (2017), the preliminary metrics of this test are a positive predictive value of 50 for laxity and 87.5 for intra-articular findings. The negative predictive value is 50 for both laxity and intra-articular findings. Note that these numbers come from an orthopedic setting with a high prevalence of such findings. This means the numbers appear more promising compared to a first-line clinical setting.

To perform this test, the therapist supports the arm of the patient with the elbow in a flexed position. The examiner palpates the anterolateral aspect of the radial head. The thumb is then slid over the radial head while the forearm is supinated passively. The muscles are pushed away by keeping close contact with the radial head.

Another orthopedic test to assess for elbow laxity and intra-articular findings is the PEPPER Test.

Other common tests to assess for Tennis Elbow / Lateral Epicondylalgia are:

• Mills’s Test
• Maudsley’s Test
• Cozen’s Test

Arrigoni, P., Cucchi, D., Menon, A., & Randelli, P. (2017). It’s time to change perspective! New diagnostic tools for lateral elbow pain. Musculoskeletal Surgery, 101(2), 175-179.

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