ARTHROSCOPY AND MR IMAGING OF THE SHOULDER - A RETROSPECTIVE COMPARISON

MR Imaging is proving to an effective means for evaluating the shoulder. The use of a surface coil and high resolution scanning techniques have allowed detailed analysis of normal anatomy and suspected pathology of the shoulder. On the other way arthroscopic inspection provides a more extensive visualization of the joint in different positions. 31 patients, well documented, were studied with MR Imaging and correlated with findings in arthroscopy and open revision in some cases. The MR studies were retrospective interpreted without the knowledge of the results of other diagnostic procedures. For the evaluation of rotator cuff tears MRI proved to have a sensitivity of 83,3% and an accuracy of 90,30%. When Arthroscopy was correlated with open revision the sensitivity was 61,8% and the accuracy 78%. Labral pathology and Hill-Sachs lesions will be better evaluated in arthroscopy as in MRI (sensitivity of arthroscopy 100% and of MRI 69%, accuracy of arthroscopy 100% and of MRI 87,1%). With the high resolution scanning technique and a surface coil MRI has been shown to be useful in the evaluation of rotator cuff tears and impingement syndrome but not in diagnosis of labral pathology and Hill-Sachs lesions.