What exactly is the “Rotator Cuff?”
The rotator cuff is comprised of four muscles which combine at the shoulder to form a thick “cuff” over the joint. These muscles work as a “shunt” muscle and have the important job of stabilizing the shoulder, as well as elevating and rotating the arm. Each muscle originates on the shoulder blade (scapula) and attaches on the arm bone (humerus). The four muscles which make up the rotator cuff are the: supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis. Often the mnemonic S.I.T.S is used to help remember the muscles that make up the rotator cuff.
