Orthopedics Today | Defined as a tear greater than 5 cm in the anterior-posterior dimension or a complete tear of two or more rotator cuff tendons, a massive rotator cuff tear can be caused by traumatic injuries or degeneration of the tendons.“I would say it is more common to see [massive rotator cuff tears] in an older population; however, you can see them in any age group,” Frank A. Petrigliano, MD,