Register for email alerts and news feeds:
This journal | BMJ Group
rss
The most recent version of this article was published on 1 April 2009

Br J Sports Med. Published Online First: 18 September 2008. doi:10.1136/bjsm.2008.052175
Copyright © 2008 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd & British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine.

Tendinopathies issue

Rotator cuff tendinopathy: A review

Jeremy S Lewis 1*

1 Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust, United Kingdom

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jeremy.lewis{at}chelwest.nhs.uk.

Accepted 1 September 2008


Abstract

Purpose: A review was conducted to synthesise the available research literature on the pathogenesis of rotator cuff tendinopathy.

Relevance: Musculoskeletal disorders of the shoulder are extremely common, with reports of prevalence ranging from 1 in 3 people experiencing shoulder pain at some stage of their lives to approximately half the population experiencing at least one episode of shoulder pain annually. Pathology of the soft tissues of the shoulder including the musculotendinous rotator cuff and subacromial bursa are a principle cause of pain and suffering.

Conclusions: The pathoaetiology of rotator cuff failure is multifactorial and results from a combination of intrinsic, extrinsic and environmental factors. The specialised morphology of the rotator cuff together the effects of stress shielding may contribute to the development of rotator cuff tendinopathy. Profound changes within the subacromial bursa are strongly related to the pathology and resulting symptoms. A considerable body of research is necessary to more fully understand the aetiology, pathohistology of rotator cuff tendinopathy and its relationship with bursal pathology. Once this knowledge exists more effective management will become available.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?

eLetters:

Read all eLetters

Pathogenesis of rotator cuff tendinopathy
Nicola Maffulli, et al.
BJSM Online, 5 Feb 2009 [Full text]

This Article

Services
Citing Articles
Google Scholar
PubMed
Bookmark with

Register for free content

The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.

Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.

 

The journal is co-owned by and the official journal of BASEM

Official journal of ECOSEP

Available online to all members of ACSP, AMSSM and SMNZ