The gait, arms, legs and spine (GALS) locomotor screening examination encourages doctors to make an initial examination of the joints.1 It combines techniques used by experienced consultants in the initial assessment of a patient who may have musculoskeletal problems. This technique is taught in all British medical schools and features commonly in OSCE examinations,2 and takes 5 minutes to perform (Box). As with several other physical examination techniques, its sensitivity and specificity for detecting joint disease has not been formally evaluated; it does not detect all conditions with soft tissue or significant systemic involvement.
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- 1. Doherty M, Dacre J, Dieppe P, Snaith M. The, “GALS” locomotor screen. Ann Rheum Dis 1992; 51: 1165–1169.
- 2. Fox R, Dacre J, Clark C, Scotland A. Impact on medical students of incorporating GALS screen teaching into the medical school curriculum. Ann Rheum Dis 2000; 59: 668–671.
- 3. Beattie KA, Bobba R, Bayoumi I, et al. Validation of the GALS musculoskeletal screening exam for use in primary care: a pilot study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2008; 9: 115.
- 4. Foster HE, Kay LJ, Friswell M, et al. Musculoskeletal screening examination (pGALS) for school‐age children based on the adult GALS screen. Arthritis Rheum 2006; 55: 709–716.
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