There are four muscles that comprise the rotator cuff: Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, Teres Minor and Subscapularis. A rotator cuff tear is when one of those muscles or the tendon from the muscle is either partially or completely torn. The supraspinatus is the most commonly torn muscle due to its compromised position under the acromonion, or point of the shoulder. While some tears require surgical intervention, the presence of a tear on an MRI or MR Arthrogram does not necessarily mean that surgery is needed, especially in someone over 50
years of age. Some of the most prominent orthopaedic surgeons in the country agree that the symptoms are key in determining the need for surgery.