The causes and incidence of rotator cuff injuries in patients under th
e age of 40 has not been clearly established. The present study focuse
s on a group of 10 male contact athletes with rotator cuff injuries re
lated to trauma sustained during football (ages from 24 to 36 years).
Symptoms included pain and dysfunction in all 10 patients and a positi
ve shrug sign in 8 of 10. The diagnoses for these patients were two is
olated contusions, five partial-thickness tears, and three full-thickn
ess tears. Surgery was performed on ail patients after nonoperative tr
eatment failed. Three partial-thickness tears were arthroscopically de
brided. One full-thickness and two partial-thickness tears were repair
ed using the arthroscopically assisted miniarthrotomy technique. An op
en repair was performed in two patients. Two isolated rotator cuff con
tusions were arthroscopically debrided. The average followup was 21 mo
nths. Nine of 10 athletes returned to active participation in football
, 7 of these at their preinjury levels. The diagnosis of rotator cuff
injury should be considered in a contact athlete who has persistent sh
oulder pain, impingement signs, weakness, and a positive shrug sign. A
rthroscopic debridement of the subacromial space followed by debrideme
nt or repair of rotator cuff tears, as clinically indicated, resulted
in a marked improvement in function and rapid return to sport for thes
e patients.