Rotator Cuff Injury

A rotator cuff tear is an injury to your rotator cuff that can cause shoulder pain and the inability to use your arm. Your rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons in your shoulder. They help you lift and move your arms away from your body. Your rotator cuff keeps the ball of your upper arm bone (humerus) in the shoulder blade socket.

Your shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint that’s part of your skeletal system. It’s like a golf ball sitting on a golf tee. Rotator cuff tears occur when tendons pull away from your arm bone. A tear may result from overuse or another injury.

What are the types of rotator cuff tears?

Types of torn rotator cuffs include:

• Partial: With an incomplete or partial tear, your tendon still somewhat attaches to your arm bone.
• Complete: With a full-thickness or complete tear, your tendon separates completely from your bone. There’s a hole or rip in your tendon.

How common are rotator cuff tears?

More than 2 million Americans experience some type of rotator cuff problem every year. Rotator cuff tears affect people of all ages, but the problem is more common in adults. In fact, it’s so common that there are people who have rotator cuff tears and don’t even know they have one because they have no symptoms.