Which of the following are classic symptoms of a rotator cuff injury?

Which of the following are classic symptoms of a rotator cuff injury?

• A. Shoulder pain and weakness, with severe pain on arm abduction.
• B. Wrist numbness and tingling.
• C. Leg swelling and numbness.
• D. Abdominal pain after meals.

Answer: (A)

Rotator cuff injuries typically cause shoulder pain with weakness, especially when trying to lift the arm. The cuff muscles stabilize the humeral head and initiate abduction, so tearing or inflammation leads to pain and reduced strength specifically during overhead lifting or when raising the arm away from the body. Describing shoulder pain and weakness with severe pain on arm abduction matches this pattern, making it the best answer. Numbness in the wrist, leg swelling, or abdominal pain after meals point to issues in other body regions (wrist nerve compression, vascular/neurologic issues in the legs, or gastrointestinal conditions), not the shoulder, so they don’t fit rotator cuff pathology.

Rotator cuff injuries typically cause shoulder pain with weakness, especially when trying to lift the arm. The cuff muscles stabilize the humeral head and initiate abduction, so tearing or inflammation leads to pain and reduced strength specifically during overhead lifting or when raising the arm away from the body. Describing shoulder pain and weakness with severe pain on arm abduction matches this pattern, making it the best answer. Numbness in the wrist, leg swelling, or abdominal pain after meals point to issues in other body regions (wrist nerve compression, vascular/neurologic issues in the legs, or gastrointestinal conditions), not the shoulder, so they don’t fit rotator cuff pathology.