DIAGNOSTIC ACCURACY OF ULTRASOUND AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING IN THE ASSESSMENT OF ROTATOR CUFF TEARS

Abstract

Rotator cuff (RTC)pathology is the most prevalent cause of shoulder pain in the general population among the several causes of shoulder discomfort, and there is usually a significant morbidity connected to rotator cuff disease, such as rotator cuff tears (RCT).Shoulder discomfort is frequently caused by tears in the rotator cuff. The cross-sectional observational study was conducted at Sheikh Zayed Hospital Lahore from September 12, 2023, to April 26, 2024. The study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of Ultrasound (MSK-USG) compared with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in identifying rotator cuff muscles.. The Ultrasound evaluation sequences are with the elbow flexed to a 90-degree angle, the biceps tendon was evaluated first. In order to assess any LHBT dislocation from the bicipital groove, the patient is instructed to rotate their arm both internally and externally. Second, with the arm externally rotated and the elbow at 90 degrees of flexion, the subscapularis was evaluated. The patient was asked to abduct their arm in order to assess impingement, internally rotate their arm so that the dorsum of the hand touched their back to assess supraspinatus and infraspinatus, and assess the acromioclavicular joint to rule out arthritis. The MRI Shoulder study protocol was applieed. All participants provided informed consent, guaranteeing their voluntary involvement and privacy and followed the Declaration of ethical guidelines. Patients of various age groups are included in this study, which evaluates 50 patients for rotator cuff problems who had both magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound of their shoulder joint. A total of 50 cases, 32 were males and 18 were females. Age groups 19-34 account for 40% of all cases, while 50–65 account for 23.3% of all cases. These age groups have the greatest number of instances, with a total of 12 cases. A total of 19 cases, or around 63.3% of all cases, had symptoms that had persisted for one to six months. Merely 2.7% of patients had symptoms for over a year in the beginning, which is a very small percentage of cases overall. About 40% cases were Right-handed, and 60% were Left-handed. The rotator cuff tear diagnosis demonstrated a strong negative predictive value (NPV) and good sensitivity.As a result, the ultrasonographer, despite brief expertise with shoulder ultrasonography, demonstrated good sensitivity in identifying tears and certainty in their elimination.