MR imaging of the shoulder after surgery

OBJECTIVE. This study examines the usefulness of MR imaging for assessing patients who have undergone shoulder surgery and have persistent postoperative complaints. SUBJECTS AND METHODS. Fifty patients with persistent postoperative shoulder pain underwent MR imaging before second-look arthroscopy. The MR imaging findings were correlated with findings at surgery. RESULTS. With surgical findings as the gold standard, we found MR imaging to be 100% sensitive and 87% specific in revealing full- or partial-thickness supraspinatus tendon tears, MR imaging was 84% sensitive and 87% specific in revealing residual impingement. The positive predictive value of MR imaging for diagnosing partial-thickness tears of the supraspinatus tendon was 56%, With this exception, the MR imaging findings correlated well with findings at arthroscopic second-look surgery. CONCLUSION. In patients who have undergone shoulder surgery, MR imaging is useful in pinpointing disorders and in planning for second-look surgery in patients with persistent postoperative complaints.