Comparative Study between Multi-slice Computed Tomographic Arthrography and Arthroscopy in the Evaluation of Rotator Cuff Tears

Objective To compare the imaging findings of anatomical alterations using multi-slice computed tomographic arthrography in the evaluation of rotator cuff tears in the shoulder, correlating them with the arthroscopy (the gold standard diagnostic test) findings. Materials and Methods A longitudinal, prospective, comparative study of diagnostic accuracy performed in the period between June 2016 and June 2017 in patients of both sexes, aged between 40 and 70 years, with shoulder rotator cuff tendon tears and therapeutic need to undergo shoulder arthroscopy. Patients with contraindication to magnetic resonance imaging were included. After multi-slice computed tomographic arthrography, all patients underwent arthroscopy. Results To obtain the results, the following parameters were determined: sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and Kappa coefficient, and contrast between the imaging method and arthroscopy. Conclusion In the impossibility of performing magnetic resonance imaging (the gold standard imaging technique), multi-slice computed tomographic arthrography is an imaging examination capable of evaluating/diagnosing rotator cuff tears.