There are four tendons that join together to form a ‘cuff’ over the upper end of your arm bone, at the shoulder. The cuff enables you to lift and rotate the shoulder – hence the name ‘rotator cuff’. The tendons also help to stabilise the ball and socket joint of the shoulder.

The cuff may get torn as a result of an injury, such as a fall, or it may be result of chronic wear and tear. The tear can start off fairly minor, but can get progressively worse through repetitive use or re-injury. It is a very common injury.

Pain in the front of your shoulder, which radiates down the side of your arm. You may feel pain when sleeping on the affected side, or when reaching or lifting above your head. You may also feel a weakness in your arm.

You might experience acute pain when the tear happens, together with a snapping sensation and immediate weakness in your arm.

Initial x-rays of the shoulder can show evidence of a rotator cuff tear, such as the narrowing of the space between the cuff and the bone. An MRI scan is used to confirm the diagnosis, because it shows both complete and partial tears in the cuff. An alternative diagnostic tool is ultrasound, which also effectively detects a rotator cuff tear.

This type of surgery involves the surgeon making a series of small incisions and repairing the rotator cuff with minimal damage to the surrounding tissues. The repair is done by the surgeon looking through a small camera to watch his repair on a television monitor (see Arthroscopy). The scars and recovery period are minimal.