English

Abstract

MRI is the 'Gold Standard' noninvasive procedure of choice for evaluation of diseases of the shoulder, especially with regard to identifying lesions of the rotator cuff and glenoid labrum. Low tesla MRI, being available at an affordable cost and with relatively low maintenance, suits to the requirement of the society in rural areas. This study was aimed at evaluating patients with suspected rotator cuff / labral tears on a Low field MRI system & comparison of the imaging findings with arthroscopic and / or operative findings. INTRODUCTION: Shoulder joint is a ball and socket type joint formed by articulation between head of humors and glenoid of scapula. Structurally it is a weak joint due to disparity of the articulating surface area between a small and shallow glenoid cavity in comparison to head of humerus. However this arrangement provides the glenohumeral joint with greater range of movements than any articulation in human body. Large amount of clinical tests in physical examination are used for the diagnosis of painful shoulder for determining the exact site of periarticular lesions. Clinical diagnosis have low accuracy in comparison with arthroscopy (gold standard, which is invasive.(1) MRI is the 'Gold Standard' non-invasive procedure of choice for evaluation of diseases of the shoulder, especially with regard to identifying lesions of the rotator cuff and glenoid labrum & is an excellent modality because of its multiplanar capability and soft tissue discrimination. (2) The prevalence of rotator cuff tears in the general population has been found in cadaver and MRI studies to range from 5% to 39%. Because the prevalence of rotator cuff disease increases with age, it is expected to become an even more common clinical condition as the population ages.(3) There is no debate that high-field MR images are of superior diagnostic value compared to low-field images. Low-field MRI scanners, however, besides being available at a low cost, have open design, which is better tolerated by claustrophobic and pediatric patients. In the present setup, this helps in alleviating the anxiety in population of rural area thus facilitating patients' co-operation in the study. A study conducted by Shellock et al. using a 0.2 T extremity-dedicated MR scanner, for the rotator cuff tears, shows good agreement of the low- field MR results with the surgical findings for determination of lesions of the rotator cuff and glenoid labrum. (2)