Pathology of rotator cuff tears

Abstract

Rotator cuff injuries are common, especially above the age of 60 and have an effect not only on shoulder function but also on the overall health status and quality of life of the patients. Many theories have been proposed in order to explain the underlying pathology, and efforts have been made to define the predicting factors leading to rotator cuff tears. During the last decades the factors contributing to this complicated disease have been teamed into two major categories: the extrinsic and the intrinsic factors. Extrinsic factors actually involve anatomic and demographic variables that predispose to supraspinatus tears, while intrinsic factors include pathologic and degenerative changes into the substance of the tendon and the muscle itself. Nowadays, it is thought that in most cases both extrinsic and intrinsic factors play a significant role in rotator cuff pathology. Despite the progress of molecular biology, many issues concerning the pathogenesis of this disease remain unknown and have not been fully understood to date.