Rotator Cuff: Purpose & Problems

A short presentation for patients and athletes describing the role of the rotator cuff in shoulder motion and the basics of how things can go wrong and lead to injury. This is the first in a series of videos on rotator cuff injury.

The shoulder joint is the most versatile joint in the human body. The shoulder is the basis for moving our hand around in space and integral to our interaction with the world around us. The shoulder is capable of extreme range of motion, far exceeding other joints in the body. In order to do this, the shoulder relies less on ligaments and bone constraints than the other joints and more on the rotator cuff. The cuff muscles envelope the shoulder joint and coordinate finely tuned contractions to counteract other muscle and external forces to keep the ball of the shoulder centered in the cup throughout range of motion. In fact, the ligaments of the shoulder only come into play in the most extreme positions when the cuff is functioning properly. This versatility and the delicate machinery that allows it, however does have its downside.