Shoulder rotator cuff tear: The shoulder joint is surrounded by several muscles and tendons connecting the upper arm bone with the shoulder blade. Four of these muscles, called the supraspinatus muscle, the infraspinatus muscle, the teres minor muscle and the subscapularis muscle, are essential to the shoulder for joint stability and shoulder movement. They are called the rotator cuff. A shoulder rotator cuff tear in one of the mentioned muscles or its tendons is called a shoulder rotator cuff tear.
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