Introduction. The pathogenesis of rotator cuff disease (RCD) is complex and
not fully understood. This systematic review set out to summarise
the histological and molecular changes that occur throughout the
spectrum of RCD. Methods. We conducted a systematic review of the scientific literature
with specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results. A total of 101 studies met the inclusion criteria: 92 studies
used human subjects exclusively, seven used animal overuse models,
and the remaining two studies involved both humans and an animal
overuse model. A total of 58 studies analysed supraspinatus tendon
exclusively, 16 analysed subacromial bursal tissue exclusively,
while the other studies analysed other tissue or varying combinations
of tissue types including