What is a rotator cuff injury?
Rotator cuff injuries, or tears, affect the tendons in your rotator cuff, the group of muscles and tendons that holds your shoulder joint in place and keeps it stable. Your rotator cuff allows you to rotate, lift, and reach with your arm.
Rotator cuff tears are classified based on how deep a tear is rather than its length or width. A partial tendon tear goes only partly through the affected tendon, so the affected tendon still connects to your humerus (arm bone). A full-thickness tear essentially makes a hole in the tendon, which detaches it from the humerus.
What causes rotator cuff injuries?
Because you move your arms often, the rotator cuff is prone to wear-and-tear damage like tendon fraying and, eventually, tearing.
Age-related damage is the cause of most rotator cuff tears. Your risk increases after age 40, and tear incidence steadily increases with age. By age 80, up to 80% of people have rotator cuff tears.
You can also injure your rotator cuff during an accident, like a fall in which you reach out suddenly. Or, with an already-frayed tendon, lifting a heavy object could cause a tear.
What are the symptoms of a rotator cuff tear?
Rotator cuff tear symptoms usually include:
- Dull shoulder ache
- Shoulder pain at night
- Increased shoulder pain when you lift, lower, or rotate your arm
- Arm weakness
- Clicking feeling when moving your shoulder joint
- Difficulty reaching up or back
If you have an accident that causes a rotator cuff tear, you may feel a snapping sensation as it happens.
How are rotator cuff injuries diagnosed?
Your provider reviews your medical history and symptoms. They examine your shoulder, testing the range of motion. Your provider checks for other problems like neck pain and whiplash, which can help determine which diagnostic tests you may need.
Rogozinski Orthopedic Clinic has a high-tech diagnostic imaging facility, so you can easily have any necessary tests before your provider diagnoses your rotator cuff tear.
How is a rotator cuff tear treated?
Rotator cuff tear treatment depends on a few things, including the depth of the tear and your lifestyle. Approximately 80% of people with rotator cuff tears get good results with non-surgical treatments such as rest, physical therapy, medication, injections, and shoulder bracing.
Trauma-related rotator cuff tears are more likely to require surgery, as are age-related tears that cause treatment-resistant shoulder pain or shoulder instability.
The experienced board-certified and fellowship-trained Rogozinski Orthopedic Clinic surgeons regularly perform arthroscopic surgery, minimally invasive surgery, and traditional procedures to repair rotator cuff tears. They created many innovative surgical techniques themselves.
Generally, rotator cuff surgery involves reinforcing the torn tendon with a graft and securing it to the humerus.
If you have rotator cuff pain, call Rogozinski Orthopedic Clinic or schedule a consultation online.
