What are the causes of rotator cuff tear?

Acute Tear

An injury to your shoulder will often cause a rotator cuff tear. Common mechanisms of injury include falls onto your outstretched arm or lifting something too heavy with a jerking motion. It can also occur with other shoulder injuries, such as a dislocated shoulder.

Degenerative Tear

Many tears are the result of degenerative wearing down of the tendon that occurs slowly over time, as we age. If you have a degenerative tear in one shoulder, there is a high likelihood of developing a rotator cuff tear in the opposite shoulder. Several factors contribute to degenerative, or chronic, rotator cuff tears.

Repetitive stress. Repeating the same shoulder movements again and again can damage your rotator cuff muscles and tendons over time. Many physical jobs and routine chores can cause overuse tears. They are also commonly seen in sportspeople.

Bone spurs. As we age, bone spurs (bone overgrowth) often develop on the underside of the acromion bone. When we lift our arms, the spurs rub on the rotator cuff tendon. This condition is called shoulder impingement, and over time will weaken the tendon and make it more likely to tear.

Poor blood supply. As we age, the blood supply in our rotator cuff tendons weakens impairing the body's natural ability to repair tendon damage.