College of Massage Therapists of British Columbia (CMTBC) Practice Exam

What muscle is affected with a positive Hawkins-Kennedy Impingement Test?

1. Infraspinatus under the coracoacromial arch

2. Supraspinatus under the coracoacromial arch

3. Subscapularis under the coracoacromial arch

4. Teres minor under the coracoacromial arch

The correct answer is: Supraspinatus under the coracoacromial arch

The Hawkins-Kennedy Impingement Test is specifically designed to assess for shoulder impingement, particularly targeting the rotator cuff muscles. A positive test typically suggests that one of the rotator cuff muscles is being compressed under the coracoacromial arch during arm elevation. In this scenario, the supraspinatus muscle is the primary muscle involved. The supraspinatus is responsible for initiating abduction of the arm and is most commonly affected in cases of impingement due to its location. When the arm is raised in a specific way during the Hawkins-Kennedy test, the supraspinatus tendon is commonly impinged between the humeral head and the acromion, leading to pain and restriction. Understanding the anatomical positioning of the rotator cuff muscles assists in recognizing that the supraspinatus is the muscle most vulnerable to impingement, hence why a positive Hawkins-Kennedy test correlates with its involvement. The other muscles listed—such as the infraspinatus, subscapularis, and teres minor—are also part of the rotator cuff but are less commonly implicated in the context of this specific test, as the supraspinatus is typically identified as the primary muscle involved