Rotator cuff tendon injury is the main cause of acute and chronic shoulder pain and a limited range of motion. Surgical intervention is usually needed in cases of acute injury with full-thickness tears. The difficulty in repairing rotator cuff injuries lies in reconstructing the bone-tendon interface. Although various animal models of rotator cuff injuries induced by surgical trauma have been developed, suitable animal models and exact treatment method are lacking. This paper summarizes the establishment method and applicable scope of rotator cuff tendon injury-induced animal models and explores the selection of animal models and functional evaluation method to provide a corresponding theoretical basis for basic scientific research on rotator cuff injuries.