Jobe's test, also known as empty can test, is an
orthopedic examination used to test stability of the
shoulder
The human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle (collarbone), the scapula (shoulder blade), and the humerus (upper arm bone) as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons.
The articulations between the bones of the shoulder m ...
.
Purpose
The purpose of this test is to determine instability for the shoulder. This test should be performed
bilaterally to compare stability of both right and left
shoulder joints.
Procedure
The patient is to lie
supine
In grammar, a supine is a form of verbal noun used in some languages. The term is most often used for Latin, where it is one of the four principal parts of a verb. The word refers to a position of lying on one's back (as opposed to ' prone', l ...
on the table. They are to place their shoulder at 90° abduction. The
elbow
The elbow is the region between the upper arm and the forearm that surrounds the elbow joint. The elbow includes prominent landmarks such as the olecranon, the cubital fossa (also called the chelidon, or the elbow pit), and the lateral and t ...
should be flexed at 90°. The examiner should stand beside the patient with
distal
Standard anatomical terms of location are used to describe unambiguously the anatomy of humans and other animals. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position provi ...
hand holding the patient's
wrist
In human anatomy, the wrist is variously defined as (1) the carpus or carpal bones, the complex of eight bones forming the proximal skeletal segment of the hand; "The wrist contains eight bones, roughly aligned in two rows, known as the carpal ...
and
hand
A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered appendage located at the end of the forearm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs. A few other vertebrates such as the Koala#Characteristics, koala (which has two thumb#O ...
. The examiner's
proximal
Standard anatomical terms of location are used to describe unambiguously the anatomy of humans and other animals. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position prov ...
hand is to be placed over the patient's
humeral head.
The examiner applies a posterior force to the
humeral head and externally rotates the patients
humerus
The humerus (; : humeri) is a long bone in the arm that runs from the shoulder to the elbow. It connects the scapula and the two bones of the lower arm, the radius (bone), radius and ulna, and consists of three sections. The humeral upper extrem ...
.
Mechanism
The examiner applies a posterior force to the humeral head and externally rotates the patients humerus.
Results
A decrease in
pain
Pain is a distressing feeling often caused by intense or damaging Stimulus (physiology), stimuli. The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as "an unpleasant sense, sensory and emotional experience associated with, or res ...
or
apprehension or an increase in range of motion is a positive sign for
anterior
Standard anatomical terms of location are used to describe unambiguously the anatomy of humans and other animals. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position pro ...
instability.
[
]
History
Jobe's test is a physical exam
In a physical examination, medical examination, clinical examination, or medical checkup, a medical practitioner examines a patient for any possible medical signs or symptoms of a medical condition. It generally consists of a series of questions ...
test that is used to detect anterior shoulder instability. It is used to distinguish between anterior instability and primary shoulder impingement. This test should be performed after the Apprehension test.[ This test was named for Christopher Jobe.]
References
{{Orthopedic examination, state=autocollapse
Shoulder
Physical examination