What Are the Causes of Retracted Rotator Cuff Tear?

There are not many options for treatment when there is retraction after a complete tear of the rotator cuff. Retraction occurs when there is a rupture of one of the rotator cuff tendons in the shoulder followed by the shortening of the muscle.

Definition

• The muscles and tendons that make up the rotator cuff as it supports the shoulder joint are under constant tension. Therefore, when a complete tear of one or more of them occurs, the muscle will tend to retract (get shorter) which creates an obvious space between the end of the muscle and the bone. This is what is known as a retracted tear.

Identification

• As we age, our rotator cuff tendons can have a greater tendency to tear because there are areas of the tendons with low blood supply. Blood supply is a key ingredient that helps tissue in the body repair itself, and the lack of blood supply can make the rotator cuff susceptible to wear and tear as we go through life. Rotator cuff tears are more common in adults who are 40 years old and older.

Considerations

• With the muscles and tendons of the rotator cuff already breaking down with age, we become more vulnerable to injury. Injuries to the rotator cuff are common among athletes who use a mostly overhand motion, like baseball pitchers and tennis players, as that motion tends to put pressure on the shoulder. Other common daily activities, such as washing windows or reaching for items stored high on shelves, can be just as big of a contribution to degeneration of the muscles and tendons of the rotator cuff through overuse.

Causes

• Once nature has taken its course and weakened the rotator cuff, many kinds of force exerted on the shoulder joint can cause the muscles and tendons to tear and lead to retraction. A fall on the shoulder is one common cause, as is lifting heavy objects.

People at Risk

• The typical patient is a person who is older than 40, and who has incurred some trouble with the shoulder in the past. Then, some force exerted on the rotator cuff causes a tear. There are plenty of cases involving younger people as well, often related to sports or other overuse injuries.

Interesting Fact

• Pain is a common symptom of rotator cuff injuries and will almost certainly be present with a retracted tear, but researchers at the Mayo Clinic estimate that as many as 40 percent of the population suffers from some sort of mild rotator cuff tear and many do not even realize it.