Magnetic resonance imaging findings after shoulder surgery: What the radiologist needs to know

Even primary diagnostic evaluation of the shoulder is a challenge for radiologists. Many imaging findings that definitely indicate abnormal findings in the untreated shoulder should be evaluated carefully in postoperative patients. Artifacts caused by implants or metal abrasion pose considerable problems in postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Classic approaches to minimizing artifacts caused by foreign bodies include using turbo spin echo sequences, increasing bandwidth, and reducing voxel size. In recent years, several vendors have developed dedicated pulse sequences for reducing metal artifacts. Different postoperative imaging findings will be encountered, depending on the kind of surgery done. This review article describes typical postoperative MRI findings, focusing on subacromial decompression, reconstruction of the rotator cuff, labrum procedures, and biceps tenodesis.