[In Process Citation]

The traumatic etiology of rotator cuff lesions is a||| matter of controversial discussed in legal assessments. Because of the||| relatively high prevalence of degenerative changes with increasing age,||| including partial and complete rotator cuff tears, it may be difficult to||| demonstrate the cause of an acute traumatic rotator cuff tear. This article||| presents a review of the literature concerning current knowledge of the||| anatomy, biomechanics and pathogenesis of rotator cuff pathology. According to||| this, a catalogue of potentially adequate and inadequate trauma mechanisms is||| proposed. Another focus of this work is in the post-traumatic diagnostic steps||| following persistent rotator cuff-deficient shoulder function. X-ray,||| ultrasound, MRI and operative findings in rotator cuff tears underline the||| criteria for distinguishing between traumatic and degenerative lesions. From a||| legal point of view (e.g., private accident insurance, workers compensation||| claims), various minor and major arguments are defined, which could help the||| expert in judging the cause of post-traumatic rotator cuff||| deficiency.