The rotator cuff, also known as the hood or the rotator cuff, is a group of muscles that surround the head of the humerus. They are responsible for the stabilization of the humerus in the acetabulum of the scapula and for movements in the shoulder joint (mainly abduction movements and rotations).

Tendon damage is often caused by falling on a straightened limb or when lifting a heavy object while rotating the arm. People who actively practice sports (especially those disciplines that require frequent lifting of hands, e.g. retina) and people who perform physical work that require frequent repetition of the same movements, causing microtrauma and overload in the tendons of the rotator cuff, are also exposed to damage to the rotator cuff tendon.

Patients experience a decline in muscle strength and pain, often described as stabbing, appearing around the top of the shoulder and sometimes radiating down to the forearm. Pain can also appear when you are resting - for example, while you are sleeping. Patients may find it difficult to move the limb, especially raising the arm to the side.

Patients who are usually qualified for the surgery are those who have not been successful in conservative treatment, as well as those who are active in sports, in whom damage to the rotator cuff is the result of acute trauma. The surgical procedure is also indicated when the damage is so extensive that it prevents normal functioning and may contribute to the formation of secondary overload changes in the shoulder.

The operation of the rotator cuff usually consists in suturing - with the use of special anchors and sutures - the tendons in their anatomical position.
The treatment may include the following methods:

classical (open) reconstruction of the rotator cuff
minimally invasive rotator cuff surgery - mini-open procedure
arthroscopic removal of calcification of the rotator cuff
arthroscopic reconstruction of the rotator cuff