ReviewInternational orthopaedics2021
Can a simple fall cause a rotator cuff tear? Literature review and biomechanical considerations.
Review in International orthopaedics, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 23 citations in OpenAlex.
- Impact of preoperative blood lipid levels on early outcomes following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair: A retrospective analysis.Medicine · 2026Article
- Exploring the level of association between rotator cuff tears and acromiohumeral distance: a systematic review.JSES reviews, reports, and techniques · 2026Review
- Radial Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy Versus Multimodal Physical Therapy in Non-Traumatic (Degenerative) Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy with Partial Supraspinatus Tear: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Can radiologists and orthopaedic surgeons distinguish between traumatic and degenerative rotator cuff tears on MRI?International orthopaedics · 2025Article
- Establishing a rabbit model with massive supraspinatus tendon defect for investigating scaffold-assisted tendon repair.Biological procedures online · 2024Article
- [Can a fall onto the shoulder (direct impact) cause a rotator cuff tear?]Orthopadie (Heidelberg, Germany) · 2024Article
- Isolated traumatic full-thickness supraspinatus tear with intact glenohumeral capsule: a case report.JSES reviews, reports, and techniques · 2024Article
- Short-term efficacy of open surgery versus arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in moderate rotator cuff tears.American journal of translational research · 2024Article
- [Effectiveness analysis of "tail compression fixation+suture bridge" technology under shoulder arthroscopy for treating primary tear in medial enthesis of rotator cuff].Zhongguo xiu fu chong jian wai ke za zhi = Zhongguo xiufu chongjian waike zazhi = Chinese journal of reparative and reconstructive surgery · 2023Article
- Combination of autologous osteochondral and periosteum transplantation effectively promotes fibrocartilage regeneration at the tendon-bone junction of the rotator cuff in rabbits.Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA · 2023Article
- [Effectiveness analysis of arthroscopic single/double-row suture techniques in repairing of moderate rotator cuff tears].Zhongguo xiu fu chong jian wai ke za zhi = Zhongguo xiufu chongjian waike zazhi = Chinese journal of reparative and reconstructive surgery · 2023Article
- [Evaluation methods of postoperative healing of supraspinatus tendon tear].Zhongguo xiu fu chong jian wai ke za zhi = Zhongguo xiufu chongjian waike zazhi = Chinese journal of reparative and reconstructive surgery · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeA simple fall on the shoulder is often referred to as minor trauma that cannot cause a tendon tear but at best reveal a pre-existing rotator cuff pathology. We wanted to know whether this statement was true. The purpose of our study was therefore to summarize the causes of acute rotator cuff tears reported in the literature and provide a biomechanical explanation for tendon tears diagnosed after a fall.
methodWe searched PubMed and included studies reporting rotator cuff tears occurring due to a trauma. The number of cases, the tendons involved, the age of the patients, and the nature of trauma were summarized. In addition, we noted any information provided by the authors on the pathogenesis of acute tendon ruptures.
resultsSixty-seven articles with a total of 4061 traumatic rotator cuff tears met the inclusion criteria. A simple fall was the most common cause (725 cases) and the supraspinatus tendon was most frequently affected. The postulated pathomechanism is a sudden stretch of the tendon-muscle unit while contracting (eccentric loading).
conclusionA simple fall can cause an acute rotator cuff tear and fall-related tears are not restricted to young individuals. They can affect patients of any age. The stresses occurring within the rotator cuff during an attempt to cushion a fall may locally exceed the tensile strength of the tendon fibers and cause a partial or full-thickness tear.
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Registered trials
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