The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles and their tendons supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis that together surround the glenohumeral joint, stabilise the humeral head, and power the shoulder through elevation, rotation, and reaching activities. Rotator cuff tears are among the most common causes of shoulder pain and disability, occurring through acute traumatic mechanisms such as falls and forceful lifting, as well as through progressive degenerative attrition in older or more physically active individuals.

At our specialist shoulder clinic, our rotator cuff specialists assess every patient with a suspected rotator cuff tear through detailed clinical examination including the empty can, full can, Jobe, and Gerber lift-off tests combined with dynamic ultrasound and high-resolution MRI to characterise tear size, morphology, muscle retraction, and fatty infiltration grade. This precise diagnostic assessment is the foundation of an effective rotator cuff repair plan, determining whether conservative shoulder injury treatment, injection therapy, or rotator cuff surgery will deliver the best long-term outcome.

For patients requiring rotator cuff surgery, our surgeons perform arthroscopic shoulder tendon repair using single-row, double-row, or transosseous-equivalent suture anchor fixation — selecting the technique that best restores the footprint anatomy of the torn tendon based on tear size, tissue quality, and the demands the repaired cuff must withstand. For massive or irreparable rotator cuff tears, our rotator cuff specialists offer superior capsule reconstruction, partial repair with tendon augmentation, and tendon transfer procedures ensuring every patient with rotator cuff pathology has a surgical pathway available to them. Each rotator cuff repair is followed by a carefully staged rehabilitation programme to protect the healing tendon while progressively restoring shoulder strength and function.