rotator cuff

American  

noun

• rotator cuffs
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• rotator cuffs
  plural

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rotator cuff

Treinen has a history of shoulder injuries and underwent right shoulder labrum and rotator cuff repair surgery after the 2022 season.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026

The same technology could also have potential uses in post-traumatic OA, intervertebral disc degeneration, rotator cuff degeneration, and the localized delivery of other hydrophobic drug candidates.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 17, 2026

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 ● Nov. 21, 2025

These injuries and complaints range from blisters to severe tendonitis, bursitis, slipped vertebrae, rotator cuff dysfunction, and stress fractures, particularly fractures of the ribs.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

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