Shoulder pain with muscle power deficits

what are the risk factors for a rotator cuff tear or tendinopathy?

• >40 years old

• participation in repetitive OH lifteing

• overhead athletes

• smoking

• obesity

• metabolic syndrome

• psychosocial/contextual factors

what are the causes of a rotator cuff tear/tendinopathy?

• traumatic: lifting something heavy, car accident, fall on outstretched hand, shoulder discloation

• degenerative: tendon regeneration, repetitive overuse, bone spurs, poor blood supply

what is the rotator cuff tendinopathy spectrum in determining if it is a tendinopathy or a full tear?

1. acute reactive presentations

2. chronic degernative presentations

3. tendon structural changes

4. load intolerance— tendons respond well to load so this would indicate a full tear

what are the types of RC tears?

• partial tear: incomplete tear; some portion of the RTC muscle or tendon is affected but does not extend all the way through

• full thickness tear: complete tear; extends from top to bottom of a RTC muscle or tendon

what are the objective examination findings for a RCT?

• limited shoulder AROM— scaption, flextion, abduction, ER, IR

• weakness or pain with resisted ER, IR, flexion, and abduction

• positive cluster special test findings: Drop arm test, infraspinatus test, and painful arc

• positive external rotation lag sign, lift off test, belly press test

what do we do if someone has positive signs and symptoms of a RCT?

try treatment but refer out if failure to perform