Rotator Cuff Lesion in Wheelchair Users with Spinal Cord Injury: Does Time of Injury and Medullary Level Interfere? A Retrospective Evaluation

Objective To describe magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics of shoulders from patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) and to correlate these findings with age, duration of SCI and neurological level. Method The study sample included patients with thoracic SCI over 18 years of age, who were active wheelchair users and had undergone an MRI of the shoulder from January 2004 to December 2015. Results We studied 41 shoulders (37 patients), including 27 men (65.9%) and 14 women (34.1%). At the time of MRI, the mean age was 41.9 years and the mean duration of SCI was 9.4 years. The analysis of the relationship between the duration of trauma and severity of the rotator cuff lesion (RCL), as well as between age and the severity of the shoulder injury showed a statistically significant difference ( p < 0.001), with a positive association in both cases. No statistically significant difference ( p = 0.095) was observed between the neurological level of the SCI and RCL. Conclusion In this study, a progressive increase in the severity of the shoulder lesions can be noted with advancing age and a longer duration of SCI. However, level of the SCI does not seem to interfere with RCL. Level of Evidence Level IV, case series.