If you've been around athletes, you may have heard them grumbling about a torn rotator cuff or constant shoulder pain. What does this really mean? The rotator cuff is a collection of four muscles & tendons around the shoulder joint. The rotator cuff is what makes your shoulder stable & flexible by positioning the proximal head of the humerus (head of the upper arm bone) into the glenoid (socket of the shoulder).

Any injury to the rotator cuff results in a shoulder ache that can worsen with time.

What is a Rotator cuff Tear?

Over time the four muscles in the shoulder wear out due to stress & friction, leading up to a rotator cuff tear. This tear causes extreme pain & weakness in the shoulder. It can be of two types; partial & complete tear.

Partial Tear: Also called incomplete tear, partial tear results in a damaged tendon but not a completely severed one. 
Complete Tear: Often called a full-thickness tear, this type of tear separates the tendons from the bone completely.

How Do Sports Play Into The Tear?

Athletes involved in rigorous sports like cricket, tennis, basketball etc. perform repetitive arm movements that put them at a greater risk of suffering a torn rotator cuff. Motions that require overhead activities or lifting or arm swings exert stress on the shoulder which will gradually lead to a rotator cuff tear.

Suffering from a rotator cuff tear? Sakra World Hospital has one of the best Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair Surgeons in Bangalore with state of the art facility that provides reliable care & treatment from some of the most proficient doctors in the field of orthopaedics.