The rotator cuff is a combination of muscles and tendons that link your upper arm bone, the humerus, to your shoulder blades. The rotator cuff also holds your upper arm bone in place in your shoulder socket. The four muscles of the rotator cuff are the supraspinatus, the infraspinatus, the teres minor and the subscapularis. Each muscle is connected to the arm bone by a tendon. Rotator cuff repair is the surgery used to repair a tear in one of these tendons.
People of all ages injure their rotator cuffs. Some are good candidates for surgery, while others will pursue different treatments.
You can injure your rotator cuff through wear and tear or poor movement patterns over time. Slouching and chronically pushing your head forward are two movement patterns that put your rotator cuffs at risk. As you get older, the rotator cuff can be irritated or pinched by calcium deposits in your shoulder area or bone spurs due to arthritis.
