Blood flow evaluation by dynamic magnetic resonance imaging of symptomatic rotator cuff tears and frozen shoulders

Abstract

This study compared imaging findings of blood flow changes between symptomatic rotator cuff tear (RCT) and frozen shoulder (FS) by using 3-dimensional dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine the clinical characteristics of symptomatic RCT. The 2 study groups comprised 31 symptomatic RCT patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair and 30 patients with FS. We denoted abnormal blood flow detected around the glenohumeral joint as the burning sign (BS). We evaluated the characteristics of dynamic MRI and compared them between BS-positive and BS-negative patients in the RCT group. All members of the FS group showed the BS. Conversely, the incidence of the BS in RCT patients was 53% (16 of 31). The BS in RCT and FS patients was observed in the rotator interval in 16 shoulders, in the axillary pouch in 3 shoulders (P < .01), and in the intertubercular groove in 10 RCT and 12 FS patients. In the RCT group, 16 patients with BS had a statistically significantly higher Numeric Rating Score at rest (P = .0005) and in motion (P = .04) than the 15 patients without BS and exhibited a higher rate of small and medium tears and a higher rate of shoulder contracture. Dynamic MRI of symptomatic RCT (53.3%) highlighted abnormal vascularization around the glenohumeral joint, which may be associated with pain and contracture in RCT as in FS.