According to the University of California San Francisco Medical Center, the rotator cuff is composed of muscles and tendons that hold the humerus bone within the shoulder joint. The muscles and tendons can sustain complete or partial tears, depending on the injury.
Identification
The supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis muscles make up the rotator cuff. According to the Sports Injury Clinic, the supraspinatus and infraspinatus are the most commonly injured rotator cuff muscles.
Causes
According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), rotator cuff tears are caused by an immediate injury or overusing the muscles.
Symptoms
According to the AAOS, the most common symptoms of rotator cuff tears are atrophy, pain or weakness when lifting or lowering the arm, and a cracking or popping sound when moving the shoulder.
Diagnosis
Doctors can best diagnose a rotator cuff tear by the symptoms and taking an X-ray or a magnetic resonance image (MRI), according to the AAOS.
Treatment
Rotator cuff tears are treated by surgery if it's a complete tear or with non-surgery methods such as rest, immobilization and exercises to strengthen the rotator cuff.
