Evaluation of non-articular causes of shoulder pain

Abstract

Background: To evaluate the accuracy of high resolution ultrasound (USG) and MRI in the diagnosis of rotator cuff tears (RCT) and to determine if high resolution USG compares favorably in sensitivity and specificity to MRI in the diagnosis of non-articular causes of joint pain. Material/Methods: In this prospective comparative study, 52 patients with clinically suspected rotator cuff tears underwent both ultrasound and MRI of the shoulder. The USG and MRI were interpreted by two radiologists experienced in musculoskeletal radiology and blinded to findings of each other. Comparison was done using MRI as a standard reference. Results: The agreement between USG and MRI for diagnosis of RCTs was statistically significant ; USG showed a sensitivity of 90.6% and a specificity of 75% for tendinopathy, a sensitivity of 64.3% and a specificity of 81.6% for partial-thickness tears, a sensitivity of 41.7% and a specificity of 90% for complete width full-thickness tears and a sensitivity of 40% and a specificity of 95.7% for incomplete width full-thickness tears; diagnostic efficacy for all cases with tears was 80.8%. Conclusion: Considering the comparable diagnostic efficacy of USG and MRI, the former modality can be used as a first-line investigation for diagnosis of RCT.