Rotator cuff tear: Meaning in a Radiology Report

Rotator cuff tear

Also written as: torn rotator cuff, cuff tear, supraspinatus tear

A rotator cuff tear is a tear in the tendons that keep the shoulder steady and help lift the arm. It can go partway or all the way through.

Seen on: MRI, Ultrasound

How it reads in a report

Full-thickness rotator cuff tear at the supraspinatus insertion, 12 mm wide, with minimal retraction and no muscle atrophy.

What it means

The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles whose tendons wrap around the ball of the upper arm bone. They keep the ball centered in the shoulder socket and help lift and turn the arm. The supraspinatus tendon, on top, tears most often. A partial-thickness tear goes only part of the way through the tendon. A full-thickness tear goes all the way through, leaving a gap.

When it matters

Most tears come from gradual wear. They become very common with age, and many cause no pain. Doctors weigh the tear's size, whether the tendon has pulled back (retraction), the condition of the muscle, and your symptoms and needs. Many people improve with physiotherapy. A large tear, or a recent one from an injury in an active person, more often leads to a surgical opinion.

Questions to ask your doctor

Is the tear partial or full-thickness, and how large is it?
Has the tendon pulled back, or has the muscle become thin or fatty?
Is physiotherapy a sensible first step, or is surgery worth discussing?

General information, not medical advice. What a finding means for you depends on your symptoms, your history and the images themselves, so talk your results through with a doctor.