Degenerative Rotator Cuff Tear

As we grow older, the chance that we will have some type of rotator cuff tear becomes much greater. The incidence of injury from exercise or athletics becomes greater because age has a way of deteriorating the muscles and tendons in the shoulder joint.

Treatment of a degenerative rotator cuff tear is slightly different than that of the tear in a younger person with more stable muscle fiber. Options ranging from physical rehabilitation to surgery to repair the tear are all determinate on the age of the patient, the extent of the injury, and the range of motion needed, along with other health conditions…

The rotator cuff consists of four different muscles: the supraspinatus, the infraspinatus, the teres minor, and the subcapularis. In a degenerative rotator cuff tear, the muscle most often damaged is the supraspinatus. Because these muscles control the ability to rotate the arm and raise it over the head, any injury to them results in a loss of motion and a decreased quality of life and extreme pain. Also, when a degenerative rotator cuff tear occurs, the bursa sac will become enflamed and irritated, causing pain in the shoulder.

Causes for a degenerative rotator cuff tear include a decreased blood supply to the tissues in the shoulder. This decreased blood supply causes deterioration of the muscle tissue and an inability to heal even the smallest tear naturally.

Another reason can be bone spurs. Bone spurs are a natural part of the aging process and when they rub against the tendons in the shoulder, the tendons become weak. When you put this together with the diminished blood supply to the rotator cuff, you have a condition that can only get worse with time unless caught early and corrected under the direction of a physician.

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