A group of four muscles and their tendons that surround the shoulder joint and keep the head of the humerus seated in the socket.
Structure
The rotator cuff consists of the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis. Their tendons blend with the shoulder joint capsule before inserting on the greater and lesser tubercles of the humerus.
Function
The cuff pulls the head of the humerus into the shallow glenoid socket, allowing the larger deltoid to lift the arm without dislocating it. Each muscle also rotates the arm in a specific direction.
Clinical note
Rotator cuff tears, especially of the supraspinatus, are a common cause of chronic shoulder pain and weakness in middle-aged and older adults.
Find more body parts by letter
Rotator Cuff starts with R and ends with F. Browse other body parts along the same letter.
Body Parts that contain a letter from "Rotator Cuff":