Which test specifically assesses subscapularis tear by having the patient lift the hand behind the back against resistance?

• A. Lift Off Subscapularis Test
• B. Neer’s Test
• C. Empty Can Test
• D. Hawkins-Kennedy Test

Answer: (A)

Testing the subscapularis tear is best done with the lift-off behind-the-back maneuver. In this test, the patient places the back of the hand on the lower spine and then tries to lift the hand away from the back against the examiner’s resistance. The subscapularis is the main internal rotator of the shoulder and helps stabilize the front of the joint; when the tendon is torn, the muscle cannot generate sufficient internal rotation with the arm in this position, so weakness or inability to hold the hand off the back against resistance indicates a subscapularis issue. This technique specifically stresses the subscapularis, whereas the other tests target different problems—impingement tests like Neer’s and Hawkins-Kennedy, or supraspinatus function as in the Empty Can test—so they don’t isolate the subscapularis.