Athletic Training & Sports Medicine Center

  

Examination Links:

  • Alphabetical Listing
of Examinations
  • Head
  • Cervical Spine
  • Thoracic Spine
  • Lumbar Spine
    • Straight Leg Raise Test
    • Sciatic Nerve Palpation Test
    • Bowstring Test
  • Shoulder
  • Elbow & Radioulnar
    • Valgus Test 00
    • Valgus Test 300
    • Valgus Test 900
    • Milking Sign
    • Cross Arm Valgus
 Stress Test
    • Varus Test 00
    • Varus Test 300
    • Lateral Compression Test
    • Valgus Extension Overload
    • Cozen Test
    • Mills Test
    • Distal Radioulnar Instability 
Test
  • Wrist
    • Anatomical Snuff Box
Compression Test
    • Phalen's Test or Wrist Press 
Test
    • Tinel Sign
  • Hand & Fingers
    • Murphy's Sign
    • Boutonniere Deformity Test
    • Mallet Finger Test
    • Flexor Digitorum Superficialis
 Test
    • Flexor Digitorum Profundus
 Test
    • Gamekeeper's Thumb Test
    • MCP Radial Collateral 
Ligament Stress Test
    • MCP Ulnar Collateral 
Ligament Stress Test
    • PIP Radial Collateral 
Ligament Stress Test
    • PIP Ulnar Collateral 
Ligament Stress Test
    • DIP Radial Collateral 
Ligament Stress Test
    • DIP Ulnar Collateral 
Ligament Stress Test
    • Bunnel-Littler Test
    • Retinacular Test
    • Allen Test
  • Sacroiliac Joint
    • Ipsilateral Prone Kinetic Test
    • FABER Test
    • Passive Extension & Internal 
Rotation of Ilium on Sacrum
    • Passive Flexion & External 
Rotation of Ilium on Sacrum
    • Passive External Rotation 
of Hip
    • Pelvic Rocking Test
    • Gapping Test
    • Prone Gapping (Hibb's) Test
    • Approximation Test
    • Squish Test
      Sacroiliac Rocking Test
    • Sacral Apex Pressure Test
    • Torsion Stress Test
    • Femoral Shear Test
    • Superoinferior Symphysis
Pubic Stress Test
    • Piedallu's Sign
    • Flamingo Maneuver or Test
    • Gaenslen's Sign
    • Mazion's Pelvic Maneuver
    • Yeoman's Test
    • Sit-up Test
  • Hip & Thigh
    • Scouring (Quandrant) Test
    • FABER Test
    • Trendelenburg Test
    • Craig's Test
    • Torque Test
    • Stinchfield Test
    • Thomas Test
    • Ober Test
    • Pirifomis Test
    • Sign of the Buttock
    • Ely's Test
    • Hamstring Contracture Test 1
    • Tripod Test
    • 90-90 Straight Leg Test
    • Phelp's Test
  • Knee
    • Gravity Sign
    • Active Posterior/Anterior 
Drawer Test
    • Posterolateral Drawer Test
    • Lachman
      • Tradiional
      • Thigh Assisted
      • Drop Leg
      • Table Side
      • Table End
      • Prone
      • Active
    • Posterolateral Drawer Test
    • Figure 4 Palpation
    • McMurray's Test
    • Apley's Grind Test
    • Lateral Compression Test
    • Medial Compression Test
    • Jerk Test of Hughston
    • Pivot Shift Test
    • External Rotation 
Recurvatum Test
    •  
  • Lower Leg
  • Ankle
  • Foot
    • Morton Test
    •  
  • Range of Motion
  • Goniometry
  • Manual Muscle Testing
  • Reflexes
  • Vital Signs
  • Body Composition

 

Empty Can Test
Examination type Muscle test (strength)
Patient & Body Segment Positioning

The patient stands with elbows extended and both shoulders in 90 degrees of abduction, 30 degrees of horizontal adduction and full internal rotation so that the thumbs of both hands are pointing towards the floor.
Examiner Position Face the patient with your hands on the superior aspect of the patient’s elbows.
Tissues Being Tested Mainly tests the supraspinatus muscle, but also affects the infraspinatus muscle and the middle head of the deltoid muscle
Performing the Test

Ask the patient to resist you as you slowly apply downward pressure on the superior aspect of the elbows.
Positive Test Pain and/or weakness in the affected shoulder
Interpretation

Inflammation or strain of supraspinatus; possible rupture of supraspinatus tendon
Common errors in performing exam Horizontally adducting the shoulder to much causes involvement of the anterior portion of the deltoid.
Factors possibly resulting in misinterpretation Incorrect placement of patient’s arm allows other muscles to resist the force possibly resulting in a false negative test.
Related tests Drop-arm test, Shoulder abduction test
References

Magee. Orthopedic Physical Assessment. 4th Ed. 2002. pp.396.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7632387&dopt=Citation

Links:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7632387&dopt=Citation

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