Basic Science in Rotator Cuff Tears

Rotator cuff (RC) tears are one of the most common clinical problems of upper extremity causing shoulder pain and functional loss. The impact of this condition to the socio-economic status of the society is quite significant and cannot be overlooked. In 2002 alone, approximately 40,000 surgical operations were performed in USA at the cost of $14,000 per surgery. There is an ever-growing increase in the number of surgical interventions of RC tears and RC repairs remain as one of the most common operations performed [1].