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Many Rotator Cuff Tears Cause No Symptoms
Full Title
Dead men and radiologists don't lie: a review of cadaveric and radiological studies of rotator cuff tear prevalence.
Summary
This review analyzed cadaveric and radiological studies to determine how common rotator cuff tears really are. Among cadaveric specimens, the prevalence of full-thickness tears was 11.75% and partial-thickness tears was 18.49%, for a total of 30.24%. Strikingly, among living subjects examined with ultrasound, 38.9% of those with no symptoms had rotator cuff tears. MRI findings showed 26.2% of asymptomatic individuals had tears. The study concludes that rotator cuff tears are frequently asymptomatic, meaning many people have tears without knowing it. This finding highlights that the presence of a tear on imaging does not necessarily mean it is the source of pain, and that many tears can exist without causing problems.