Rotator cuff disease: current trends in orthopedic management

Rotator cuff disease is a clinical entity that is frequently encountered in the typical primary care office. Of particular importance to the chiropractic physician is the close proximity of the shoulder joint to the cervical spine. Due to the relatively high level of morbidity in the population, rotator cuff disease should be looked at carefully on both the physical and advanced diagnostic level. Several factors contributing to rotator cuff pathology include subacromial impingement, the relative microvascular pattern of the cuff mechanism and prior trauma. The natural history of attrition and aging also play a role in rotator cuff disease. Advanced disease is successfully diagnosed through the efficient utilization and proper sequencing of advanced orthopedic imaging studies.