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What is a cuff is this context?

The rotator cuff muscles are important in shoulder movements and in maintaining glenohumeral joint (shoulder joint) stability.[2] These muscles arise from the scapula and connect to the head of the humerus, forming a cuff at the shoulder joint.

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Please report what you have found in a dictionary, for example rotator cuff – Matt Эллен Sep 20 '12 at 9:19

closed as general reference by Kate Gregory, MετάEd, Mahnax, Cameron, Matt Эллен Sep 20 '12 at 9:19

This question is too basic; it can be definitively and permanently answered by a single link to a standard internet reference source designed specifically to find that type of information. See the FAQ for guidance on how to improve it.

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A cuff has its normal meaning: "the end part of a sleeve, where the material of the sleeve is turned back or a separate band is sewn on," a cylinder of material surrounding the wrist.

The rotator cuff is a similar structure of muscle surrounding the shoulder joint (the "rotator").

See the diagram at http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/picture-of-the-rotator-cuff — the image is copyright and shouldn't be included here.

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So I guess when they say it forms a cuff at the shoulder joint, it is basically describing the shape similiar to the band of the sleeve cuff that is formed when all those tendons connect around the head of the humerous. – Theo Sep 16 '12 at 22:54

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