The present prospective study was performed to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of compressed sensing magnetic resonance imaging (CS-MRI) for rotator cuff tears.Between December 1, 2021 and April 1, 2022, 62 patients with suspected rotator cuff tears were admitted to Affiliated Hospital of Jinggangshan University and received CS-MRI and arthroscopy to determine the diagnosis and the disease type of tears. Their medical data were obtained and analyzed to evaluate the clinical feasibility of CS-MRI in diagnosing rotator cuff tears.Of the 62 cases of suspected rotator cuff tears, 45 were confirmed by arthroscopy, including 31 cases of total tears and 14 partial tears. Using arthroscopic findings as the gold standard for the diagnosis of rotator cuff tears, the sensitivity of clinical signs to diagnose rotator cuff tears was 66.67%, the specificity was 70.59%, and the accuracy was 67.74%, while the sensitivity of CS-MRI in diagnosing rotator cuff tears was 84.44%, the specificity was 88.24%, and the accuracy was 81.54%. The accuracy of CS-MRI was significantly higher than that of clinical signs as determined by chi-square test within groups (P=0.019).CS-MRI provides high resolution for muscles, tendons, and soft tissues, significantly contributing to the diagnosis of soft tissue injuries. Although there were no significant differences in the sensitivity and specificity of CS-MRI for the clinical diagnosis of rotator cuff tears compared to the clinical signs, CS-MRI significantly improved the diagnostic accuracy.