AbstractBackground: The shoulder joint is one of the most complicated and mobile joints of the body whose stability is primarily maintained by the rotator cuff muscles. The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons which surround the shoulder joint inserting into the greater and lesser trochanters of the humerus, keeping the head of the upper arm bone firmly within the shallow socket of the shoulder. Lesions involving the rotator cuff muscles are one of the most common causes of shoulder pain and restricted shoulder mobility. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays an important role in the evaluation of the fine details associated with rotator cuff.
Materials and Methods: This study was undertaken from March 2023 to October 2023 in the Department of Radiodiagnosis, Narendra Modi Medical college, L.G hospital, maninangar, Ahmedabad. The study population consisted of 60 patients who underwent MRI of the shoulder joint.
Results: The study population consisted of 60 patients from 20 to 60 years of age showing a gradual increase in disease pathology with advancing age and a strong male predilection. Most common pathology involving rotator cuff was found to be tendinosis followed closely by partial tears. Of the tendons involved, most common was supraspinatus, followed by subscapularis, infraspinatus and teres minor.
Conclusion: In the workup of patients with shoulder pain, the role of imaging is to guide treatment decisions. MRI provides valuable information and for treatment planning to the orthopaedic surgeon regarding the status of tendons, bones, and joints. The diagnosis of a rotator cuff tear and its extent, full or partial thickness, can determine the line of patient management. A thorough knowledge of the rotator cuff's architecture and MR characteristics of rotator cuff tendons, acromion, and the abnormalities in these tendons is necessary for appropriate diagnosis.
