Does the Supraspinatus initiate shoulder abduction?

“I have torn my Rotator cuff so I won’t be able to lift up my arm.”
I remember many years ago at university, being taught that the Supraspinatus muscle initiated the first 15 degrees of shoulder abduction. We were also told that if you ruptured the Supraspinatus then you would need to lean away from the problem side to bypass the first 15 degrees so that your Deltoid could take over. So, is this true, does the Supraspinatus initiate shoulder abduction?

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The content in this video is provided for general information purposes only and is not meant to replace a physiotherapy or medical consultation.

  • Reed, D., Cathers, I., Halaki, M., & Ginn, K. (2013). Does supraspinatus initiate shoulder abduction?. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 23(2), 425-429

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