Which soft tissue structure is palpated during shoulder examination?

• A. Bicipital tendon
• B. Greater tuberosity
• C. Acromion
• D. Clavicle

Answer: (A)

In the shoulder exam, you’re often relying on palpation to locate soft tissue structures that can be tender or inflamed. The bicipital tendon is the soft tissue structure you palpate in the anterior shoulder. It runs through the intertubercular groove of the humerus and can be felt as a cord-like structure just medial to the bicipital groove. Tenderness or pain here points toward bicipital tendinopathy or related pathology, which is a soft tissue issue.

The other structures listed are bony landmarks: the greater tuberosity is a bony prominence where the rotator cuff tendons insert, the acromion is part of the scapula, and the clavicle is the collarbone. While these bones are palpated during a comprehensive exam, they’re not soft tissue structures. That’s why the soft tissue structure typically palpated during shoulder examination is the bicipital tendon.