Rotator Cuff Tears

Rotator cuff tears are a very common cause of pain in many adults.  Most commonly, tears occur in the supraspinatus muscle.  The rotator cuff can be torn from a single traumatic injury such as a shoulder fracture or a dislocation.  Patients often report to their doctor with shoulder pain that has been going on for several months.  Most tears, however, are the result of overuse of these muscles and tendons over a period of years. People who are especially at risk for overuse are those who engage in repetitive overhead motions such as with certain athletes.  Rotator cuff tears are most common in people who are over the age of 40. Younger people tend to have rotator cuff tears following acute trauma or repetitive athletic moves.  Some symptoms of a rotator cuff tear are athinning of the muscles around the shoulder, pain and or weakness when lifting the arm, and a crackling sensation when moving the shoulder into certain positions.  A diagnosis of a rotator cuff tear is based on the symptoms and physical examination. xrays, MRI, and sometimes US are helpful in diagnosing a rotator cuff tear. 



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information found at http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic


Daisy Hallmark