Rotator Cuff Tears in Hemiplegic Shoulder
Rotator Cuff Tears in Hemiplegic Shoulder
The purpose of the study is to evaluate the prevalence of rotator cuff tears in the shoulders
 of hemiplegic patients of different severity.
Rotator cuff tears are often suspected to contribute hemiplegic shoulder pain. However, it is
 controversial whether their incidence increases in hemiplegia. Based on the postulate that
 muscle weakness in hemiplegia predisposes rotator cuff injury due to biomechanical failure,
 this study aims to investigate whether the rotator cuff tears are associated with the muscle
 strength of the shoulder by observing hemiplegic shoulders of varying degree of paresis.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  hemiplegia; unilateral weakness of sudden onset

 -  secondary to strokes or other brain lesions

 -  compatible with brain lesions confirmed by imaging studies

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  bilateral weakness

 -  any history of intensive trauma of the shoulder, reported

 -  preexisting musculoskeletal disorder of the shoulder