Symptoms
Symptoms include pain over the lateral shoulder or upper arm, night pain, pain with overhead activity, weakness, difficulty lifting, pain reaching behind the back, and loss of endurance. Traumatic tears may cause sudden weakness after a fall or lifting injury.
Degenerative tears may develop gradually and can be asymptomatic. Pain may also arise from bursitis, stiffness, biceps pathology, arthritis, or referred neck pain. Clinical assessment helps determine whether imaging findings match the patient’s symptoms.