What is the rotator cuff?
The rotator cuff is called the rotator cuff. Gray's Anatomy (1918) describes it as a group of four muscles and their tendons — supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis.
What it is
- A group of four muscles and their tendons — supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis.
- Their tendons blend with the shoulder joint capsule.
- Hold the head of the humerus in the glenoid cavity.
Where it is
- Around the shoulder joint.
- Cover the top, back, and front of the head of the humerus.
- Arise from the scapula and insert on the tuberosities of the humerus.
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Last verified: 2026-07-18
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