rotator cuff

American  

noun

1. a bandlike structure encircling and supporting the shoulder joint, formed by four muscles attached to and merging with the joint capsule.

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rotator cuff British  

noun

1. anatomy the structure around the shoulder joint consisting of the capsule of the joint along with the tendons of the adjacent muscles

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rotator cuff Scientific  

/ rō′tā′tər /

1. A group of muscles and tendons attaching the shoulder to the scapula (shoulder blade) that provide stability to the shoulder joint and act to rotate the arm. Injuries to the rotator cuff often happen when the arm is repeatedly moved over the head with great force, as when pitching a baseball.

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Example Sentences

“That’s cool. I swim the fly too. Or, I mean, I used to. Before I tore my rotator cuff.”

From Literature

As Robby, McKay and others examine her and run a few tests, they determine she likely has rotator cuff tear, and that she’ll need X-rays to know if she has a fracture.

From Los Angeles Times

After high school, I signed a minor-league contract but tore my rotator cuff.

From The Wall Street Journal

The stiff base-to-soft tip structure also appears in rotator cuffs or ACL ligaments, he said for example -- and better understanding those structures and how they might impact sensing could perhaps allow for improved repair techniques.

From Barron's

That injury, which Phillips later said included a tear in the back of his rotator cuff, caused him to miss the early weeks of this past season.

From Los Angeles Times