#AFL Round 15 Swans v Suns Sat 29-Jun at SCG #AFLSwansSuns @sydneyswans

[goswannies]

With a torn RC

Then yes ... and no.

A partial tear - especially one that heals, yes.

A full tear (often supraspinatus) or involving multiple tendons of the RC, not likely. This is because the RC is responsible for rotating the arm as well as contributing to elevation of the arm beyond 30!degrees. The deltoid is a significant elevator of the arm, however, the RC also contributes and it also helps to stabilise the proximal pull of the humeral head on the glenoid when the deltoid contracts. With a heavily or fully compromised RC, you will lose power and range. This is potentially ok was we get older and don’t always need to perform a lot of overhead activity (& can get away with deltoid muscle compensation) but not great for younger people or elite athletes. That’s a very simplistic description, but it’s mostly just to illustrate that a torn RC can have significant consequences.

[Captain]

Then yes ... and no.

A partial tear - especially one that heals, yes.

A full tear (often supraspinatus) or involving multiple tendons of the RC, not likely. This is because the RC is responsible for rotating the arm as well as contributing to elevation of the arm beyond 30!degrees. The deltoid is a significant elevator of the arm, however, the RC also contributes and it also helps to stabilise the proximal pull of the humeral head on the glenoid when the deltoid contracts. With a heavily or fully compromised RC, you will lose power and range. This is potentially ok was we get older and don’t always need to perform a lot of overhead activity (& can get away with deltoid muscle compensation) but not great for younger people or elite athletes. That’s a very simplistic description, but it’s mostly just to illustrate that a torn RC can have significant consequences.

Only going off my own experiences with full tears. I could still completely function, play footy and do weights. The only thing I struggled with was overhead dumbbell presses.

[goswannies]

Only going off my own experiences with full tears. I could still completely function, play footy and do weights. The only thing I struggled with was overhead dumbbell presses.

Of course. Can’t refute personal experience. Every case is different. And as (I think) I might have written somewhere, there are 4 parts to the rotator cuff, so if the majority are intact, some compensation can occur, as does the deltoid.

[Beerman]

Only going off my own experiences with full tears. I could still completely function, play footy and do weights. The only thing I struggled with was overhead dumbbell presses.

I had a minor tear to my rotator cuff, and certain motions were extremely painful - there's no way I would have been playing football.

To be fair, there were some concomitant injuries in my case (abrasions & bruising especially on the hip, but also on the back and shoulder and a concussion for good measure) which may have played a part in that, but the shoulder tear was the one that generated the most pain for me and lasted the longest.