05/25/2026
The rotator cuff:
👉 made up of four muscles (Supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, teres minor)
👉 combined nerve supply: suprascapular nerve, (C4-6), subscapular nerve (C5-6), axillary nerve (C5-6).
👉 tendons converge into a tissue sheath around the GH joint, and contribute to dynamic active stability of the shoulder
👉 Supraspinatus and subscapularis also converge on the long head of the biceps tendon in the bicipital groove which is one reason the biceps is heavily involved in rotator cuff injuries
👉 when muscles are injured, force couples of the shoulder are altered and may also lead to pathology of other structures such as the labrum
🔑 avoiding loaded excessive overhead motions and training the muscles associated with the cuff can help prevent degenerative changes and encourage collagen deposition for adapting to associated increased demands of higher levels of activity🔑
Further reading 📖: Huegel, J., Williams, A. A., & Soslowsky, L. J. (2015). Rotator cuff biology and biomechanics: a review of normal and pathological conditions. Current rheumatology reports, 17(1), 476. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11926-014-0476-x