Brass

Woodwind

Lower strings

Upper strings

Percussion/
tympani

All players

Measurement

n=47

n=35

n=42

n=64

n=11

n=199

Minimum

Maximum
Shoulder external rotation – left1 12.3 11.5 12.6 12.1 12.1 12.1 6.4 24.2
  2.5 2.2 3.3 2.5 2.4 2.6    
Shoulder external rotation - right1 12.5 11.8 13.1 12.1 12.5 12.4 7.3 27.8
  2.5 2.2 3.4 2.2 2.0 2.6    
Shoulder internal rotation - left1 16.8 16.2 16.0 15.0 15.7 15.9 5.5 27.4
  3.7 4.3 3.7 4.5 3.3 4.1    
Shoulder internal rotation - right 17.5 16.1 16.0 16.2 16.9 16.5 5.0 30.7
  4.3 4.3 3.8 4.4 3.1 4.2    
Shoulder abduction - left1 18.7 18.2 18.9 17.5 19.4 18.3 7.3 33.0
  4.9 4.3 5.1 4.5 3.7 4.7    
Shoulder abduction - right1 19.8 19.3 19.7 18.6 20.0 19.3 8.0 32.7
  4.6 4.9 5.2 4.4 3.4 4.6    
Shoulder - HK – left2 39.3 45.3 45.0 41.9 45.1 42.7 8.0 89.0
  11.2 14.0 14.2 13.8 12.3 13.4    
Shoulder - HK – right2 37.0 40.2 38.2 38.3 44.4 38.7 10.0 90.0
  12.8 11.1 14.2 11.6 11.5 12.4    
Kiblers - A – left3 10.4 10.6 10.1 10.2 10.0 10.3 6.0 15.0
  1.6 1.4 1.7 1.5 2.0 1.6    
Kiblers - A – right3 11.0 10.8 10.4 10.7 11.1 10.7 6.5 16.0
  1.7 1.6 1.8 1.6 2.1 1.7    
Hand behind back – left4 27.4 25.9 26.8 26.6 29.1 26.9 2.0 45.5
  7.0 6.6 5.3 6.8 4.5 6.4    
Hand behind back – right4 29.9 28.1 29.0 28.2 30.5 28.9 4.0 58.0
  6.8 6.5 5.8 7.6 4.6 6.7    
Hand behind head – left5 13.0 12.3 14.0 12.0 13.0 12.8 0.0 32.0
  3.2 3.9 4.1 3.6 2.6 3.7    
Hand behind head – right5 12.5 11.9 13.1 13.0 13.3 12.7 4.5 32.0
  3.2 3.5 4.2 2.9 3.1 3.4    
1: Strength (measured in Newtons)
2: Hawkins-Kennedy test of extent of internal rotation of the shoulder measured at 90 degrees of shoulder flexion (measured in degrees)
3: Kibler’s lateral slide test, assessing distance between the inferior angle of the scapula and the spinous process of T7 (measured in cm)
4: The subject was instructed to put their hand behind their back and reach up as far as they could. The measure is the distance between tip of middle finger and the spinous
process of T1 – a shorter distance shows better range of movement (measured in cm)
5: The subject was instructed to put their hand behind their head and reach down as far as they could. The measure is the distance between tip of middle finger and the
spinous process of T1 – a larger distance shows better range of movement (measured in cm)
Table 3: Shoulder strength and range of motion measurements – by instrument type – males - (mean and standard deviation).