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

What neuropathy is suspected if a therapist gets a positive response from the Empty Can/Jobe Test?

1. Axillary Nerve Lesion

2. Suprascapular Nerve Lesion

3. Musculocutaneous Nerve Lesion

4. Radial Nerve Lesion

The correct answer is: Suprascapular Nerve Lesion

The Empty Can/Jobe Test is specifically designed to assess the integrity of the supraspinatus muscle, which is innervated by the suprascapular nerve. In this test, the patient is asked to abduct the arm to 90 degrees and resist downward pressure applied by the therapist while the arm is in the “empty can” position, which involves internally rotating the shoulder. A positive response, which typically indicates pain or weakness during the test, suggests that there may be an issue with the supraspinatus muscle or the nerve that innervates it — the suprascapular nerve. Understanding the function of the suprascapular nerve and the specific muscle assessed by the Empty Can Test is key to interpreting a positive result. The other nerves listed have different muscle innervations and functions, making them unrelated to the specific assessment provided by the Empty Can/Jobe Test. Therefore, the identification of a suprascapular nerve lesion is appropriate based on the evidence presented by a positive test result.