Rotator cuff
Last revised by Abdus Sattar
on 6 Jan 2025
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Gaillard F, Sattar A, Walizai T, et al. Rotator cuff. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 15 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-1995
rID:
1995
Article created:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Frank Gaillard had no recorded disclosures.
View Frank Gaillard's current disclosures
Last revised:
6 Jan 2025,
Abdus Sattar
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Abdus Sattar had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Abdus Sattar's current disclosures
Revisions:
11 times, by
8 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
Tags:
Synonyms:
- Rotator cuff tendons
- Rotator cuff: shoulder
The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles and their tendons, important in stabilizing the glenohumeral joint:
supraspinatus: abduction
infraspinatus: external rotation
teres minor: external rotation
subscapularis: internal rotation
Other structures that stabilize the glenohumeral joint include:
joint capsule
-
ligaments
glenohumeral ligaments: superior, middle and inferior
See also
SITS: a mnemonic to recall the muscles/tendons of the rotator cuff
Quiz questions
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References
- 1. Kaplan P. Musculoskeletal MRI. W B Saunders Co. (2001) ISBN:0721690270. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
Incoming Links
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- Infraspinatus muscle
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- Inferior shoulder dislocation
- Imaging the shoulder
- Shoulder
- Osteoarthritis of the shoulder
- Comprehensive arthroscopic management of the shoulder
- Pseudocyst of the humerus
- Critical shoulder angle
- Glenohumeral joint
- Musculoskeletal curriculum
- Rotator cable
- Shoulder resurfacing arthroplasty
- Massive rotator cuff tear
- Rotator crescent
- Avulsion injury
- Glenohumeral arthrography
- Os acromiale
- Supraspinatus muscle
- Bursal-sided rotator cuff tear
Cases:
- Adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder)
- Migration of supraspinatus tendon calcification
- Calcific tendinitis of the infraspinatus tendon
- Humerus greater tuberosity avulsion fracture
- Subacromial spur
- Humeral head greater tuberosity fracture
- Lower trapezius transfer with Achilles tendon graft tear
- Subacromial shoulder impingement
- Humeral avulsion of the glenohumeral ligament (HAGL lesion)
- Partial subscapularis tendon tear
- Geyser sign (shoulder)
- Rotator cuff repair complicated by infection
- Suprascapular nerve entrapment with acute infraspinatous denervation myopathy
- Calcific tendinitis - subscapularis
- Avulsion fracture - greater tuberosity of the humerus
- Rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy
- Bifid biceps tendon
- Avulsion fracture of the lesser tuberosity of the humerus
- Intramuscular cyst secondary to rotator cuff tear
- Pectoralis major injury
Multiple choice questions:
Related articles: Anatomy: Upper limb
-
skeleton of the upper limb
- clavicle
- scapula
- humerus
- radius
- ulna
- hand
- accessory ossicles of the upper limb
- accessory ossicles of the shoulder
- accessory ossicles of the elbow
-
accessory ossicles of the wrist (mnemonic)
- os centrale carpi
- os epilunate
- os epitriquetrum
- os styloideum
- os hamuli proprium
- lunula
- os triangulare
- trapezium secondarium
- os paratrapezium
- os radiostyloideum (persistent radial styloid)
- joints of the upper limb
-
pectoral girdle
-
shoulder joint
- articulations
- associated structures
- joint capsule
- bursae
- ligaments
- movements
- scapulothoracic joint
-
glenohumeral joint
- arm flexion
- arm extension
- arm abduction
- arm adduction
- arm internal rotation (medial rotation)
- arm external rotation (lateral rotation)
- circumduction
- arterial supply - scapular anastomosis
- ossification centers
-
shoulder joint
-
elbow joint
- proximal radioulnar joint
- ligaments
- associated structures
- movements
- alignment
- arterial supply - elbow anastomosis
- development
-
wrist joint
- articulations
-
ligaments
- intrinsic ligaments
- extrinsic ligaments
- radioscaphoid ligament
- dorsal intercarpal ligament
- dorsal radiotriquetral ligament
- dorsal radioulnar ligament
- volar radioulnar ligament
- radioscaphocapitate ligament
- long radiolunate ligament
- Vickers ligament
- short radiolunate ligament
- ulnolunate ligament
- ulnotriquetral ligament
- ulnocapitate ligament
- ulnar collateral ligament
- associated structures
- extensor retinaculum
- flexor retinaculum
- joint capsule
- movements
- alignment
- ossification centers
-
hand joints
- articulations
- carpometacarpal joint
-
metacarpophalangeal joints
- palmar ligament (plate)
- collateral ligament
-
interphalangeal joints
- palmar ligament (plate)
- collateral ligament
- movements
- ossification centers
- articulations
-
pectoral girdle
- spaces of the upper limb
- muscles of the upper limb
- shoulder girdle
- anterior compartment of the arm
- posterior compartment of the arm
-
anterior compartment of the forearm
- superficial
- intermediate
- deep
-
posterior compartment of the forearm (extensors)
- superficial
- deep
- muscles of the hand
-
accessory muscles
- elbow
- volar wrist midline
- palmaris longus profundus
- aberrant palmaris longus
- volar wrist radial-side
- accessory flexor digitorum superficialis indicis
- flexor indicis profundus
- flexor carpi radialis vel profundus
- accessory head of the flexor pollicis longus (Gantzer muscle, common)
- volar wrist ulnar-side
- dorsal wrist
- blood supply to the upper limb
-
arteries
- subclavian artery (mnemonic)
- axillary artery
- brachial artery (proximal portion)
- ulnar artery
- radial artery
- veins
-
arteries
- innervation of the upper limb
- intercostobrachial nerve
-
brachial plexus (mnemonic)
- branches from the roots
- branches from the trunks
- branches from the cords
- lateral cord
- posterior cord
- medial cord
- terminal branches
- lymphatic drainage of the upper limb