Question:easy
The lift-off test is done to assess the function of:
The lift-off test is done to assess the function of:
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Lifting the hand off the back needs internal rotation, the job of the subscapularis.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
- Supraspinatus
- Infraspinatus
- Teres minor
- Subscapularis
Show Solution
The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
Picture the manoeuvre first. The hand is placed palm-out against the small of the back and the patient is asked to push it backward, away from the body. To move the hand off the back like that, the arm has to rotate inward. Now match that movement to a muscle. Among the rotator cuff group, the only internal rotator is the subscapularis; the supraspinatus starts abduction, while the infraspinatus and teres minor rotate the arm outward. So a weak or torn subscapularis means the patient cannot push the hand off the back, which is exactly what a positive lift-off test reveals. The other tests confirm the elimination: the empty-can test screens the supraspinatus and resisted external rotation screens the infraspinatus and teres minor, none of which involve pushing the hand backward. Because the lift-off test isolates internal rotation, it is the dedicated examination for the subscapularis.
\[\boxed{\text{Subscapularis}}\]
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