Rotator cuff tears are one of the three most prevalent musculoskeletal disorders, with the
supraspinatus tendon as the most common lesion site. It may
lead to chronic
shoulder pain, weakness and limited
joint motion, and eventually to
secondary degeneration of the
shoulder. As traditional biomechanical experiments are limited by measurement
techniques and
ethical issues, it is almost impossible to clarify the stress distributions at the
rotator cuff under physiological and pathological conditions. Recently, advances in
computer science,
software development and image processing have rapidly improved finite
element models of
shoulder joint which promote the researches into pathogenesis of
rotator cuff tears and their surgical
techniques, making
finite element analysis an indispensable means in the
biomechanic research of
rotator cuff. This
paper reviews the recent
literature available in
China and abroad to expound on the
element models of
shoulder joint applied in the researches into pathogenesis and
surgery of
rotator cuff tear.