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February 3, 2012
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Rotator Cuff Injury

Medical Author:
Medical Editor:

Rotator Cuff Tears:
Shoulder Pain and
Rotator Cuff Injuries

So, You've Injured Your Rotator Cuff.
What's Next?

  • An orthopedic surgeon (bone doctor) can evaluate further pain or problems and possible need for surgery.
  • For both routine care and after surgery, work with a physical therapist. Your doctor can refer you.

Now that we understand how shoulder muscles work, let's have a look at the shoulder joint where rotator cuff injuries occur.

Rotator Cuff Injury Overview

The rotator cuff is made up of four muscles that help move and stabilize the shoulder joint. Damage to any one of the four muscles or their ligaments that attach the muscle to bone can occur because of acute injury, chronic overuse, or gradual aging. This can cause significant pain and disability with range of motion or use of the shoulder joint.

The shoulder is a ball-socket joint that allows the arm to move in many directions. It is made up of the humeral head (the upper end of the bone of the upper arm) fitting into the glenoid fossa of the scapula (shoulder blade). The humeral head is kept in place by the joint capsule and labrum, thick bands of cartilage that form an elongated cone where the humeral head fits. The rotator cuff muscles are the dynamic stabilizers and movers of the shoulder joint and adjust the position of the humeral head and scapula during shoulder movement.

When the rotator cuff is damaged, a variety of issues arise:

  • Pain and spasm limit the range of motion of the shoulder.

  • The muscles do not make the small adjustments within the joint to allow the humeral head to move smoothly.


  • Fluid accumulation within the joint due to inflammation limits movement.

  • Arthritis and calcium deposits that form over time limit range of motion.

The severity of injury may range from a mild strain and inflammation of the muscle or tendon, that will lead to no permanent damage, to a partial or complete tear of the muscle that might require surgery for repair.

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Rotator Cuff Injury - Symptoms

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Rotator Cuff Injury - Treatments

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Rotator Cuff Injury - How did you injure

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Rotator Cuff Injury

MRI Introduction

History of MRI

Working independently, Felix Bloch of Stanford University and Edward Purcell of Harvard University made the first successful nuclear magnetic resonance experiment to study chemical compounds in 1946. Dr Bloch and Dr Purcell were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1952. In the early 1980s, the first "human" magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners became available, producing images of the inside of the body. Current MRI scanners produce highly detailed 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional images of the human anatomy.

Introduction

  • An MRI is similar to a computerized topography (CT) scanner in that it produces cross-sectional images of the body. Looking at images of the body in cross section can be compared to looking at the inside of a loaf of bread by slicing it. Unlike a CT scan, MRI does not use x-rays. Instead, it uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to produce...

Read the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) article »


Read What Your Physician is Reading on Medscape

Rotator Cuff Injury »

Rotator cuff injuries are a common cause of shoulder pain in people of all age groups.

Read More on Medscape Reference »

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