1. 1  a suffix, equivalent in meaning to -ic, occurring in adjectives of Greek origin (analytic), used especially in the formation of adjectives from nouns with stems in -sis: hematotic; neurotic. Origin of -tic. Greek.
The supraspinatus muscle is one of the musculotendinous support structures called the rotator cuff that surround and enclose the shoulder. It helps to resist the inferior gravitational forces placed across the shoulder joint due to the downward pull from the weight of the upper limb.
Small tears involve less than one of the 4 muscles. Usually this is the supraspinatus, the muscle at the top of the rotator cuff, which sits just under the spur on the shoulder blade, and is usually the first muscle to tear. Partial tears are included in this category as well.