14 Possible Causes of Rotator Cuff Tear

2. Car crashes

Another common cause of rotator cuff tears is car crashes. When you’re involved in a car crash, there is an immense amount of force exerted in your body. In some cases, the consequences can be severe such as internal bleeding in your brain or a ruptured liver. Many car crashes lead to torn rotator cuffs due to the fact that your shoulder area is lined up with the steering wheel.

The abrupt impact of your shoulder with the wheel could easily tear your rotator cuff. You likely won’t be able to feel the snapping sensation that we mentioned earlier due to the shock of the crash and any other injuries that you might have. Once you have confirmed that everyone is okay and gotten to a safe distance, you can have any paramedics on the scene check your rotator cuff to see if it is torn. They will likely use the drop arm test to determine this.