In a landmark development in bone-and-joint medicine, doctors from Indian Spinal Injuries Centre have conceived of a new test that is now internationally acclaimed and accepted. The Porcellini Test will help those with recurrent dislocation that takes place due to posterior instability (dislocation due to a weakness at the back of the shoulder rather than the front).

“The recurrent dislocation of the shoulder joint, when the ball comes out of the socket, is common. However, this mostly takes place from the anterior, or the front. Posterior instability is rare—occurring in less than 3 per cent of the cases. And it is missed 40-50 per cent of times on first-time examination. It is seen most frequently in athletes, but also can occur in non athletic population too. In fact, the dislocation takes place due to labral tearing (tearing of the ring of cartilage present towards the back, that holds the ball in place in the socket),” says Dr Harpreet Singh, Consultant Shoulder Specialist, Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, New Delhi.

Working in collaboration with the team from D. Cervesi Hospital, Cattolica, Italy, under the guidance of Dr G Porcellini, the doctors from the orthopaedic and research departments of the two institutes, worked on the test for over a year. The findings are now published in the December issue of Musculoskeletal Surgery, an international medical journal that is well-received by the community of surgeons that practise this form of medicine. Dr Harpreet Singh led the team from Indian Spinal Injuries Centre.

“This is an important finding because this sort of dislocation deteriorates and is often disabling until diagnosed. The test, that was carried out on 310 patients, after which they went for surgery, showed the most accuracy when compared to all the existing tests that were difficult to perform and not specific. The new test basically involves a maneuver that the doctor does with the patient, in a clinical setting. Having the research published in an international journal means that it is now a part of medical literature and can be recommended to doctors all over the world. We hope that doctors will make use of this relatively simple test and achieve good results, since it is very specific and sensitive,” says Dr Harpreet Singh.

ISIC is the most advanced spine, orthopaedic and Neuromuscular Surgical centre in India with the latest state of the art diagnostics and surgical equipment and a highly qualified team of specialists recognized internationally who have been trained in leading institutes of India and abroad.

Indian Spinal Injuries Centre provides state of the art facilities for the management of all types of spinal ailments. It has a team of dedicated, internationally trained acclaimed spine surgeons providing cutting edge medical, surgical technology.