Shoulder Assessment Series Part 9: Jobe / Empty Can Test The Jobe or Empty can test is one of the standard tests to assess for Shoulder Assessment Syndrome. You would expect it to be positive with (external) subacromial shoulder impingement syndrome and negative with internal posteriosuperior glenoid impingement according to Cools et al. (2008). The test is also used to assess a lesion of the supraspinatus tendon together with the Full Can Test. | Physiotutors

The Jobe Test is used to test the supraspinatus muscle, an abductor of the shoulder, in isolation. The patient is examined in the seated or standing posture with the arm in extension. The examiner passively abducts, flexes, and internally rotates the patient's arm at the shoulder joint (similar to the action of emptying a can). This posture eliminates the contribution of the deltoid muscle to shoulder abduction. The patient is asked to hold this position, which should be possible if there is no