The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) released an updated Clinical Practice Guideline for Management of Rotator Cuff Injuries in August 2025, replacing the 2019 version. This comprehensive guideline addresses the full spectrum of rotator cuff pathology, from shoulder impingement and bursitis to various rotator cuff tears. The update includes 21 recommendations: 14 strong, 7 moderate, and 8 options for areas with limited evidence. Key clinical updates: single corticosteroid injections with local anesthetic can be considered for short-term pain and function improvement; patients may discontinue sling use immediately after arthroscopic repair and begin arm movement for daily activities; unsupervised home exercise programs show equivalent benefits to supervised physical therapy for small tears; bioinductive implants may reduce retears; human dermal allografts were upgraded to moderate recommendation. The guideline emphasizes optimizing healing through biologics and improved surgical techniques. Rotator cuff tears are the most common cause of shoulder pain in the United States, with approximately 4.5 million annual patient visits. Full guideline available at orthoguidelines.org.
Rotator cuff (AAOS 2025 CPG)
