An endowed chair of orthopaedic surgery in the University of Virginia Health System, Dr. Bobby Chhabra serves as a faculty member for the university's sports medicine fellowship program and primary care sports medicine program. Dr. Bobby Chhabra has presented, lectured, and published widely on the care of upper extremity injuries in athletes.

1. Bobby Chhabra

2.  An endowed chair of orthopaedic surgery in the University
of Virginia Health System, Dr. Bobby Chhabra serves as a
faculty member for the university's sports medicine
fellowship program and primary care sports medicine
program. Dr. Bobby Chhabra has presented, lectured, and
published widely on the care of upper extremity injuries in
athletes.
Rotator cuff injuries stand out as a common problem among
throwing athletes. The rotator cuff is made up of four
muscles that, as tendons, meet to create a structure that
protects the head of the humerus and attaches it to the
shoulder blade. These four tendons are also responsible for
the lifting and rotation of the arm and thus are vulnerable in
those athletes who engage in such motions frequently.

3.  Overuse or misuse of the rotator cuff may cause the
tendon to tear, which in turn means that the humerus
is no longer securely attached to the shoulder blade.
This may occur acutely, or as a result of a sudden
forceful motion, though many throwing athletes
develop chronic tears from repetitive stress to the area.
Rotator cuff tears often begin as a gradual fraying,
which can then progress to a partial or complete tear. A
complete tear means that the tissue is split in two
pieces or torn away from the edge of the bone. These
tears and larger partial tears may require surgical
intervention to repair the tendon and help the patient
restore full function.