A Comparative Assessment Between High-resolution Ultrasonography and Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Supraspinatus Tear Cases and Its Arthroscopic Correlation

Background Diagnosis of a supraspinatus tear in patients presenting with shoulder pain is a difficult task and often requires the help of an MRI. However, in recent years, high-resolution ultrasonography (USG) has been utilized as a cheaper yet sensitive alternative. The aim of the study is to provide a comparative assessment of supraspinatus tears between USG and MRI in relation to arthroscopic results. Methods A total of 60 patients with shoulder pain for the last three months or more scheduled to undergo arthroscopic surgery for their shoulder disorder were enrolled; those having any congenital deformity of the shoulder or having any contradiction to an MRI were excluded from the assessment. All the patients underwent high-resolution ultrasonography (HRUSG) and MRI evaluation. Both the USG and MRI findings were correlated with the arthroscopic findings. Results On ultrasonography, 34 (56.67%) full-thickness tears and 22 (36.67%) partial-thickness tears of the supraspinatus were detected. On MRI, 36 (60.0%) were diagnosed as a full-thickness tear and 20 (33.33%) as a partial-thickness tear. After arthroscopy, 36 (60.00%) were confirmed as a full-thickness tear and 20 (33.33%) as a partial-thickness tear of the supraspinatus. For a full-thickness tear, the sensitivity and specificity of USG and MRI were 95.0% and 92.5%, and 85% and 92.5%, respectively. For a full-thickness tear, the sensitivity and specificity of the modalities were 94.4% and 100%, respectively. Conclusion HRUSG and MRI both had high comparable accuracy for detection of a supraspinatus tear, however, HRUSG had an edge over MRI in the detection of a partial tear.