Brian Wolf, MD, with simulated patient in the Sports Medicine clinic at UI Health Care Medical Center North Liberty on Tuesday, April 29, 2025.

Rotator cuff tear

UI Health Care orthopedic surgeons are experts in treating rotator cuff tears. Minimally invasive surgery and non-surgical treatments relieve shoulder pain.
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Your rotator cuff is the group of muscles and tendons that cover the top of your upper arm bone and keep it connected to your shoulder socket.  

If your rotator cuff tendons are swollen or weak, they can start to tear. This can lead to tears in the muscles—often resulting in pain and weakness. 

But you don't have to live with the pain. University of Iowa Health Care specialists offer a number of surgical and nonsurgical treatments that can help you find relief and regain function. 

The University of Iowa Health Care orthopedics team treats the elite athletes on the Iowa Hawkeyes teams as well as recreational athletes—and non-athletes—of all ages. 

Our orthopedics team also includes physical therapists who specialize in shoulder injuries. They can help you improve your shoulder strength and flexibility. 

If you do need surgery, we're Iowa's leading center for minimally invasive rotator cuff tear repair. Our orthopedic surgeons use the newest, most effective techniques. 

Whether you need surgery or not, the care you get from the UI Health Care team will help you get back to an active, pain-free life. 

Rotator cuff tear symptoms and diagnosis

Tears in your rotator cuff can be caused by:

  • Overuse during sports  

  • Doing work that requires you to raise your arms over your head or lift heavy things 

  • Trauma from a fall or a sudden blow to your shoulder 

  • Weakened muscles and tendons in your shoulder due to aging

Rotator cuff tear symptoms

A torn rotator cuff can result in:

  • Pain at the top and outer side of your shoulder, especially when your arm is raised over your head or when you reach for something 

  • Pain that disrupts your sleep at night

  • Weakness when you lift your arm straight out to the front or side 

  • Clicking or popping when you move your shoulder

How a rotator cuff tear is diagnosed

Your orthopedic specialist will examine you by moving your arm and pressing on parts of your shoulder.  

They may order imaging tests that include X-rays, ultrasound, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These will show the bones and tissues of your shoulder and help your provider identify any tears. 

Relief without surgery

Most people who have rotator cuff tears can get pain relief without having surgery. Nonsurgical treatment for a torn rotator cuff might include: 

Regenerative medicine, including platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections.

Physical and occupational therapy to help improve your shoulder flexibility and strength.

Rest and application of heat or ice.

Medication to reduce swelling and pain.

Steroid injections.

The latest surgical innovations

If your rotator cuff tear is severe, your provider may recommend surgery.  

Many repairs can be minimally invasive. This approach incorporates small incisions and results in less pain and faster recovery time. 

UI Health Care orthopedic surgeons offer the newest techniques for successful shoulder replacement, including the following: 

  • Surgery with augmentation: Augmentation can use your own tissue, donor tissue, or synthetic material as a patch to strengthen the repair and help it heal. Augmentation may also involve the use of regenerative medicine, which uses your own cells to stimulate healing.    

  • Balloon spacers: Your surgeon will insert a small balloon into the space between your shoulder joint and upper shoulder bone. The balloon keeps the bones from rubbing together painfully.  

  • Tendon transfer: Some rotator cuff tears cause tendons to detach from the bone. If you have a tendon that can't be repaired, your surgeon can take a tendon from another part of your body (usually your back). They then attach it to your bone and rotator cuff. 

Tired of dealing with pain from a rotator cuff tear?

We'll connect you with an expert shoulder surgeon who can help.
Call 1-319-356-2223 Request an appointment Refer a patient

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