Abstract 

 

• Scapular dyskinesis can be present in healthy individuals as in patients with shoulder pathology. 

 

• It is no consensual if the altered patterns of scapular kinematics cause or exacerbate rotator cuff tears pathology. 

 

• Regardless of being the cause or the consequence of rotator cuff tear, scapular dyskinesis impairs shoulder function, worsens the symptoms, and compromises the clinical intervention success. 

 

• The first recommended treatment for rotator cuff tears is physical therapy, and it should address scapular dyskinesis whenever it is present. Surgery is reserved for non-responsive cases. 

 

• Post-surgical physical therapy protocols after rotator cuff repair must consider scapular dyskinesia to improve the outcomes. 

 

Keywords: shoulder, Scapula, Scapular dyskinesis, Rotator cuff tear, kinematics