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Summary
High-resolution real-time sonography has been reported as a non-invasive means of
evaluating the integrity of the rotator cuff. Fifty-two patients underwent both sonographic
and arthroscopic evaluation of the rotator cuff. There were 42 men and 10 women with
an average age of 47 years (range 28–71 years). The duration of shoulder pain averaged
24 months (range 3 months to 9 years). Thirty-five rotator cuff tears were noted arthroscopically.
Twenty-seven of the tears were diagnosed by sonography for a sensitivity rate of 77%.
Eleven of the 17 intact rotator cuffs were normal by sonography for a specificity
rate of 65%. The overall accuracy of sonography was 73% and the predictive value of
a positive sonogram was 82%. Sonography appears to be a good initial screening examination
in evaluating the integrity of the rotator cuff. It is noninvasive and relatively
inexpensive. Technical limitations of this technique as well as the experience of
the radiologist in performing and interpreting the examination play a major role in
the accuracy of this test. As instrumentation improves and as experience in using
this technique increases, we expect the accuracy of sonography in detecting tears
of the rotator cuff to continue to improve.
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Article info
Identification
Copyright
© 1988 Arthroscopy Association of North America. All rights reserved. Published by Elsevier Inc.
