Rotator cuff tear rotator cuff tear. Generally, the incidence of rotator cuff tears or injuries increases by age while corticosteroid injection for pain relief increases the risk of tendon tear and delays tendon healing. The shoulder is a complex mechanism involving bones, ligaments, joints, muscles, and tendons. The two main causes are injury (acute) and degeneration (chronic and cumulative), and the mechanisms involved can be either extrinsic or intrinsic or, probably most commonly, a combination of both. The cuff is responsible for stabilizing the glenohumeral joint, abducting, externally rotating, and internally rotating the humerus. When shoulder trauma occurs, these functions can be compromised.
Rotator cuff tear in frequency with age and the most common cause is age-related degeneration and, less frequently, sports injuries or trauma. Some risk factors of experiencing a rotator cuff tear cannot be changed: age, body mass index, and height. Recurrent lifting and overhead motions are at risk for rotator cuff tears. People who have jobs that involve overhead work, such as carpenters, painters, custodians and servers are at risk of also experiencing a rotator cuff tear. People who play sports that involve overhead motions, such as swimming, volleyball, baseball, tennis, and American football quarterbacks, are at a greater risk of experiencing a