happy good weekend to you, kids!

gran's dilemma is finding out the distinction between a Jobe sign and
an "empty beer can" sign.  I know that both are 90-degree angle tests of the
shoulder but has the EBC sign been renamed Jobe or are these two
separate tests?

This site says they're only "similar":

"The Jobe sign. The shoulder is elevated to 90 degrees abduction with
internal rotation. The patient maintains position with the examiner
exerting a downward force on the arm (similar to the "empty can"
test)."  http://www.chiroweb.com/archives/17/22/21.html

it seems Dr. Jobe hasn't made it into the "whonamedit" file yet 
http://www.whonamedit.com/index.cfm but can surmise this is Dr. Frank
Jobe of the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic who worked on Tommy John's shoulder.
http://espn.go.com/mlb/columns/bp/1431308.html

this is all the research I've done so far.  mostly I'm looking for the
contrast between the two signs mentioned above -- their likenesses and
differences.

if you'd like to pursue more info on Dr. Jobe and confirm I have the
right guy, I'd be glad to add a bonus for your trouble.  but remember, granny's
never one of those "high-rollers" though, so make it easy on yourself.

thanks ever so,
GB

---

Clarification of Question by badabing-ga on 31 May 2003 10:26 PDT

well, it looks like that was Tommy John's elbow, not his shoulder. 
gran doesn't follow sports.

It looks to me as if the terms are used interchangeably.

"Supraspinatus isolation test/empty can test (Jobe test):
Supraspinatus may be isolated by having the patient rotate the upper
extremity, so that the thumbs are pointing to the floor and resistance
is applied with the arms in 30 degrees of forward flexion and 90
degrees of abduction (simulates emptying of a can). Test is positive
when weakness is present compared with the unaffected side, suggesting
a disruption of the supraspinatus tendon."

eMedicine
http://www.emedicine.com/SPORTS/topic124.htm

"Supraspinatus (empty can/ Jobes) test: The shoulder is forward flexed
at 30 degrees, arms straight and thumbs pointing to ground, a downward
force is applied to the arms.  Tests for tear or weakness of the
supraspinatus."

Loyola University, Chicago
http://216.239.41.100/search?q=cache:VX-_yNdHiuMJ:www.meddean.luc.edu/lumen/meded/medicine/pulmonar/pdself/Musculoskeletal_Upper.ppt+supraspinatus+jobe+empty+can&hl=en&lr=lang_en&ie=UTF-8

"Jobe's empty can test: 

Arm is abducted 90 degrees and forward flexed 30 degrees with arm
internally rotated so thumbs point down. Athlete is then asked to
resist adduction."

College of Health & Human Performance, University of Florida
http://www.hhp.ufl.edu/ess/AT/RCIMPINGEMENT/web.htm

I believe the eponymous Jobe is indeed likely to be Dr. Frank W. Jobe.
After all, how many orthopods named FW Jobe can there be?

"Since Jobe and Moynes reported that the supraspinatus was best tested
with the empty can position of 90 degrees abduction in the scapular
plane (scaption) coupled with internal rotation, there have been
several challenges to their findings...

Jobe FW, Moynes DR. Delineation of diagnostic criteria and a
rehabilitation program for rotator cuff injuries. Am J Sports Med
1982;10:336-339."

ChiroWeb
http://www.chiroweb.com/hg/17/08/19.html 

"To maintain a healthy shoulder, do Jobe-type exercises (named for the
Dodgers' team physician, Frank Jobe, MD) for the muscles of the
rotator cuff muscles 3-4 times per week year-around. Do the exercises
listed below with dumbbells. Little Leaguers should use 1-3 pound
weights, high school and college athletes use 3-5 pound weights. Start
with one set of 10 and gradually build to one set of 20...

Supraspinatus Fly (Empty Can). Stand with both arms down by your sides
and hands rotated inward as far as possible with thumbs pointing down.
Keep your arms straight, slowly raise your hands (dumbbells) forward
and out to the sides, as if pouring water out of a can. Do not lift
higher than 600."

Be A Better Hitter
http://www.beabetterhitter.com/text/batspeed/condition/condition.htm 

"Frank W. Jobe, MD
Dr. Jobe is a pioneer in the fields of orthopaedic surgery and sports
medicine, and co-founded the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in
Inglewood, California. Dr. Jobe regularly consults for numerous
professional sports teams, including the PGA Tour, Senior PGA Tour and
the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is a member of the Biomechanics Laboratory
at Centinela Hospital Medical Center and serves as Clinical Professor
of Orthopaedics at the University of Southern California School of
Medicine."

Performance Health
http://www.performancehealth.com/advisory.htm 

I hope this is the kind of info you're needing, Granny. If not, punch
that clarification button, and I'll head out in a quest for more empty
beer cans. ;-)

Best,
Pink

thanks very much, Ms. Freud, for the second opinion.  this coincides
with what gran had found but when that site said they were only
similar, I got nervous.  since we're both lay motorscooters and _may_
have a medical degree between us, I hope you won't mind if I ask any
docs who happen by to also give us a confirmation or set us straight,
eh?  and isn't it about time Dr. J made it into the reference books if
he has a sign named for him?  gah!  might as well add Dr. Hawkins
(Richard J?) as in Hawkins sign.  neither doc is listed in my book of
eponyms.  you get a sign named after you, you should get a mention.  I
know pinkfreud's is the Q-sign -- for quality, not the medical gork
sign.  much obliged for another superfine answer, kiddo.

love,
granny

Oops. I forgot to include my search terms.

Search terms used:

"empty beer can" + "jobe"
"empty can" + "jobe"
"supraspinatus" + "jobe"
"jobe fw"
"fw jobe"
"frank jobe"
"frank * jobe"

Many thanx for the five stars, the kind words, and the tippage!

But please don't call me 'kiddo'. 

Betcha I'm older than you are, Granny. :-D

~Pink

granny ages in dog ears, so I doubt it. ;-)

You might enjoy the alcohol and drinking trivia foiund at "Fun Facts"
(http://www2.potsdam.edu/alcohol-info/FunFacts/index.html).