{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,3]],"date-time":"2026-08-03T09:46:12Z","timestamp":1785750372653,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"Walter de Gruyter GmbH","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,1]],"date-time":"2026-01-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767225600000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,23]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"j_sjpain-2026-0019_abs_001\">\n                    <jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Chronic abdominal wall pain may be caused by Anterior Cutaneous Nerve Entrapment Syndrome (ACNES). The diagnostic cornerstone is a characteristic physical examination including a localized area of altered skin sensation covering a point of maximum pain. Recently, the Scratch Collapse Test (SCT) emerged as a sensitive noninvasive test for ACNES. However, this test relies on manual force application, which introduces potential examiner bias and raises concerns regarding its objectivity. Therefore, we modified the Empty Can Test, used to detect rotator cuff injuries, into the Empty Can Scratch Test (ECST). During this test, patients hold weights, thereby eliminating any manual force application. We hypothesized that this more objective ECST would elicit similar results to the SCT through a comparable spinal inhibitory reflex mediated by the common efferent suprascapular nerve. If so, the ECST would have diagnostic potential in suspected ACNES.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"j_sjpain-2026-0019_abs_002\">\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This single-center, prospective, cross-sectional cohort study, conducted between April and August 2022\u202fat the outpatient department of SolviM\u00e1x, Centre of Expertise for Complex Abdominal Wall Pathology, included adult participants with suspected unilateral ACNES who underwent both the SCT and\u00a0ECST.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"j_sjpain-2026-0019_abs_003\">\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Twenty participants were analyzed (median age 50\u00a0years [IQR 38.5\u201357.5], 75\u202f% women). The SCT was positive in 19 patients (95\u202f%), but the ECST was positive in only 10 patients (50\u202f%). There was no level of agreement between both tests (Cohen\u2019s Kappa=0.100, p=0.305).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"j_sjpain-2026-0019_abs_004\">\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The ECST does not have a diagnostic role in ACNES. The high diagnostic yield of a SCT in ACNES is confirmed.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"j_sjpain-2026-0019_abs_005\">\n                    <jats:title>Ethical Committee number<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>METC N22.023.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1515\/sjpain-2026-0019","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,3]],"date-time":"2026-08-03T09:02:02Z","timestamp":1785747722000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The empty can scratch test (ECST) for suspected anterior cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome (ACNES)\u00a0\u2013\u00a0a pilot study"],"prefix":"10.1515","volume":"26","author":[{"given":"Bram","family":"Bakermans","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"SolviM\u00e1x, Centre of Expertise for Complex Groin and Abdominal Wall Pathology, M\u00e1xima Medical Centre , Eindhoven , The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0288-0630","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tom","family":"Ten Have","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"SolviM\u00e1x, Centre of Expertise for Complex Groin and Abdominal Wall Pathology, M\u00e1xima Medical Centre , Eindhoven , The Netherlands"},{"name":"Department of Surgery , M\u00e1xima Medical Centre , Veldhoven , The Netherlands"},{"name":"NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University , Maastricht , The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marc R.M.","family":"Scheltinga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"SolviM\u00e1x, Centre of Expertise for Complex Groin and Abdominal Wall Pathology, M\u00e1xima Medical Centre , Eindhoven , The Netherlands"},{"name":"Department of Surgery , M\u00e1xima Medical Centre , Veldhoven , The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2700-5621","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Willem A.R.","family":"Zwaans","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"SolviM\u00e1x, Centre of Expertise for Complex Groin and Abdominal Wall Pathology, M\u00e1xima Medical Centre , Eindhoven , The Netherlands"},{"name":"Department of Surgery , M\u00e1xima Medical Centre , Veldhoven , The Netherlands"},{"name":"NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University , Maastricht , The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rudi M.H.","family":"Roumen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"SolviM\u00e1x, Centre of Expertise for Complex Groin and Abdominal Wall Pathology, M\u00e1xima Medical Centre , Eindhoven , The Netherlands"},{"name":"Department of Surgery , M\u00e1xima Medical Centre , Veldhoven , The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"374","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026080309015842147_j_sjpain-2026-0019_ref_001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"van Assen, T, Brouns, JA, Scheltinga, MR, Roumen, RM. 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