If you twist
and pull on a rope for
50 years, it’s bound to get a little frayed. It
might even tear.
Your shoulder’s rotator cuf is a lot like that
rope—which helps explain why rotator cuf
tears are a common cause of pain and disabil-
ity in older people.
Many adults over age 60 may have some
sort of rotator cuff tear—even those who
don’t have shoulder pain. Rotator cuffs can
come apart in younger people too, in the
snap of a sudden injury.
Surgery can repair a ripped cuf, but as
many as half of all tears may not need a
surgical fx.
All about the cuf
Te rotator cuf is a group of four muscles
and tendons that wrap around the top
of the arm bone, holding its upper ball
frmly in the shoulder joint’s socket.
Te four muscles of the cuf arise
from the back wing bone, or scapula,
and then merge to form one tendon
unit that attaches around the ball.
With the help of the cuf, you’re
able to lift and rotate your arm in a
wide range of motions.
Te rotator cuf can be torn in
one injury, such as in a fall or an
extreme overhead reach. You may
feel a sudden snapping sensation,
followed by pain and an inability
to lift your arm over your head.
Or the injury may develop
gradually over the years, with a
slow progression of symptoms.
Tese may include:
➜
➜
Tinning or atrophy of
muscles in your shoulder.
➜
➜
Pain when lifting or low-
ering your arm from a fully
raised position.
➜
➜
Weakness when rotating or
lifting your arm.
➜
➜
A crackling sensation when
noneed to sho
orthopAedics
rotator
David Vaara, of
Medford
10
Memorial Health Center • Wellaware