In patients with rotator cuff tears, shoulder pain can be caused by subacromial impingement subacromial bursitis, capsulitis or stiff shoulder either alone or in combination. When patients have sufficient shoulder laxity and optimal scapular movement, these shoulder conditions, which are related to the shoulder pain, can be minimized or prevented; for example,increasing the upward scapular rotation decreases the risk of subacromial or internal impingement. Therefore, secondary shoulder injuries—rather than tearing of the rotator cuff itself—are likely to influence the degree of shoulder pain experienced. In the current study, the rate of shoulder pain did not differ significantly between baseball players with rotator cuff tears (17%) and those with intact rotator cuffs (20%).