Rotator cuff (RC) tendinitis is an injury that often occurs due to repetitive shoulder use (specifically overhead) in athletes and nonathletes of all ages. Although RC tendinitis is most often the result of repetitive overuse, it can also present as acute following a traumatic injury or in response to poor overhead biomechanics.

The RC is made up of a group of four muscles (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis) responsible for stabilizing the shoulder joint, as well as allowing it to move. When this muscle group is repetitively overstrained, degeneration of the cuff musculature occurs in response to subacromial impingement, insufficient blood supply, and tensile overload. It is this degeneration that results in RC tendinitis, as well as tears in the rotator cuff if not given required attention upon the onset of symptoms.

Learn more about Rotator Cuff Tendinitis through our educational images: