Why do rotator cuff tears occur?
Tears can occur in tendons weakened by age, inflammation, disease, trauma, daily wear and tear, and repetitive strain. Tears can also occur in younger people following sudden, major trauma. The tendons most commonly tear at their insertions (where the tendon joins the muscle to the bone). Tears do not generally heal by themselves as this area of the tendon has a poor blood supply. How common are rotator cuff tears? Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of patients without symptoms over the age of 60 years suggest that tears may be present in around 50% of this population. Full thickness tears make up approximately half of these and partial thickness tears the remainder. MR scanning is only 75-95% accurate in diagnosing rotator cuff tears so the true number of degenerate tears of the rotator cuff in the population is unclear. Are there different types of tear? Tears of the rotator cuff range from a partial tear in one tendon to complete tears of one or more of the tendons. In partial
