Exploring shoulder joint pain: a comparative analysis of dynamic ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging
- Authors: Varma S.1, Sharma P.K1, Faizal A.1, Lucas A.1
-
Affiliations:
- Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS)
- Issue: Vol 31, No 1 (2024)
- Pages: 81-89
- Section: Original study articles
- URL: https://journals.rcsi.science/0869-8678/article/view/260226
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.17816/vto626367
- ID: 260226
Cite item
Abstract
BACKGROUND: To evaluate shoulder joint pain, the study concentrated on evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging.
AIM: By comparing the results from both modalities within the same patient group, the study aimed to identify potential challenges in image interpretation, underscoring the limitations of ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with shoulder joint pain were included through purposive sampling. These patients underwent ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging, and the results were correlated. Various shoulder pathologies, including tendon tears, bursitis, degenerative changes, calcifications, and impingement, were analyzed.
RESULTS: The study comprised 35 patients who underwent ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging detecting pathologies such as subscapularis and supraspinatus tendon injuries, partial and full-thickness tears, peribicipital tendon fluid, subcoracoid and subacromial-subdeltoid bursitis, acromioclavicular joint degeneration, tendon calcification, and impingement. Comparative analysis showed varying sensitivities, specificities, positive predictive values, negative predictive values, and accuracy for different pathologies.
CONCLUSION: Compared with ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated greater sensitivity and specificity in identifying conditions causing shoulder pain. Ultrasonography’s affordability, real-time capabilities, and ability to compare results with the unaffected side make it a useful first diagnostic step for shoulder pain. Ultrasonography, although a quick and cost-effective initial diagnostic tool, has limitations, including operator dependence and lower sensitivity in certain conditions. In contrast, magnetic resonance imaging is employed as a confirming measure or in instances where diagnosis is challenging. The study emphasized the complementary roles of ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of shoulder joint pain, with magnetic resonance imaging as the more accurate and complete imaging modality.
Full Text
##article.viewOnOriginalSite##About the authors
Sparsh Varma
Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS)
Email: radsaveetha@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7211-0378
India, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Praveen K Sharma
Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS)
Email: radsaveetha@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4096-140X
India, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Afwaan Faizal
Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS)
Author for correspondence.
Email: radsaveetha@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0009-0000-9664-6698
India, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Ajay Lucas
Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS)
Email: radsaveetha@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0009-0000-8522-3702
India, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
References
- Naredo E, Aguado P, De Miguel E, et al. Painful shoulder: comparison of physical examination and ultrasonographic findings. Ann Rheum Dis. 2002;61(2):132–6. doi: 10.1136/ard.61.2.132
- Nørregaard J, Krogsgaard MR, Lorenzen T, Jensen EM. Diagnosing patients with longstanding shoulder joint pain. Ann Rheum Dis. 2002;61(7):646–9. doi: 10.1136/ard.61.7.646
- Naqvi GA, Jadaan M, Harrington P. Accuracy of ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging for detection of full thickness rotator cuff tears. Int J Shoulder Surg. 2009;3(4):94–7. doi: 10.4103/0973-6042.63218
- Rutten MJ, Spaargaren GJ, van Loon T, et al. Detection of rotator cuff tears: the value of MRI following ultrasound. Eur Radiol. 2010;20(2):450–7. doi: 10.1007/s00330-009-1561-9
- Teefey SA, Hasan SA, Middleton WD, et al. Ultrasonography of the rotator cuff. A comparison of ultrasonographic and arthroscopic findings in one hundred consecutive cases. Bone Joint Surg Am. 2000;82(4):498–504.
- Moosikasuwan JB, Miller TT, Burke BJ. Rotator Cuff Tears: Clinical, Radiographic, and US Findings. Radiographics. 2005;25(6):1591–607. doi: 10.1148/rg.256045203
- Massengill AD, Seege LL, Yao L, et al. Labrocapsular ligamentous complex of the shoulder: Normal Anatomy, Anatomic Variation and Pitfalls of MR Imaging and MR Arthrography. Radiographics. 1994;14(6):1211–23. doi: 10.1148/radiographics.14.6.7855336
- Zlatkin MB, Iannotti JP, Roberts MC. Rotator cuff tears: diagnostic performance of MR imaging. Radiology. 1989;172(1):223–9. doi: 10.1148/radiology.172.1.2740508
- Seltzer SE, Finberg HJ, Weissman BN, Kido DK, Collier BD. Arthrosonography: gray-scale ultrasound evaluation of the shoulder. Radiology. 1979;132(2):467–8. doi: 10.1148/132.2.467
- Kneeland JB, Middleton WD, Carrera GF, et al. MR imaging of the shoulder: diagnosis of rotator cuff tears. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1987;149(2):333–337. doi: 10.2214/ajr.149.2.333
- Martin-Hervas C, Romero J, Navas-Acien A, Reboiras JJ, Munuera L. Ultrasonographic and magnetic resonance imaging of rotator cuff lesions compared with arthroscopy or open surgery findings. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2001;10(5):410–5. doi: 10.1067/mse.2001.116515
- Bryant L, Shiner R, Bryant C, Murrell GA. A Comparison of clinical estimation; ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging and arthroscopy in determining the size of rotator cuff tears. J Shoulder Elbow. 2002;11(3):219–24. doi: 10.1067/mse.2002.121923
- Ostlere S. Imaging the shoulder. Imaging. 2003;15:162–73.
- Martinoli C, Bianchi S, Prato N, et al. US of the Shoulder: Non-Rotator cuff Disorders. Radiographics. 2003;23(2):381–401. doi: 10.1148/rg.232025100
- Middleton WD, Payne WT, Teefey SA, et al. Sonography and MRI of the Shoulder: Comparison of Patient Satisfaction. Am J Roentgenol. 2004;183(5):1449–52. doi: 10.2214/ajr.183.5.1831449
- Vlychou M, Dailiana Z, Fotiadou A, et al. Symptomatic Partial Rotator Cuff Tears: Diagnostic Performance of Ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance Imaging with Surgical Correlation. Acta Radiol. 2009;50(1):101–5. doi: 10.1080/02841850802600764
Supplementary files
