Sonographic anatomy of the supraspinatus tendon and adjacent structures

Objective. To depict the detailed sonographic pattern of the normal supraspinatus tendon and adjacent structures. Pathologic findings in these structures are well described, but knowledge of their sonographic anatomy is relatively limited. Design. A new position for sonography of the shoulder was adopted that permits good stretching and a large field of view of the supraspinatus tendon. The right shoulders of 12 healthy adult volunteers and of a 10-year-old boy were imaged. Frozen-frame images of ten standard sections were obtained, anatomic details were sought, and a sonographic normal pattern was reconstructed. Results and conclusions. The study allowed sonographic description of new details, including the presence of two distinct tendons of the supraspinatus. Such a reference normal pattern may be helpful in clinical practice for separating the various components and recognizing artifacts or other possible causes of a misdiagnosis.