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. 1996 Sep-Oct;20(5):829-33.
doi: 10.1097/00004728-199609000-00032.

Improving the diagnostic accuracy of MR in the detection of infraspinatus tendon injuries

S K Goergen  1 , W G Bradley Jr, J Liu, J K Tam, M D Dubin, P J Pema, L M Teresi, J Jordan, D Morrison
Affiliations

Improving the diagnostic accuracy of MR in the detection of infraspinatus tendon injuries

S K Goergen et al. J Comput Assist Tomogr. 1996 Sep-Oct.

Abstract

Purpose: Our goal was to determine the accuracy of MRI in the diagnosis of infraspinatus tendon injury and more specifically to determine if the antero-posterior extent of a rotator cuff tear is predictive of infraspinatus tearing.

Method: The MR images of 41 shoulders with surgically proven supraspinatus tears at surgery were retrospectively reviewed. The following were assessed for each of the 41 studies: the number of oblique coronal images on which a tendon defect could be seen, the angle subtended by the tear on axial images (the rotator cuff "axial angle"), and the extent of signal abnormality on sagittal images.

Results: The rotator cuff axial angle was 75.6 degrees in patients with infraspinatus tendon tears (ITTs) versus 40 degrees in those without ITTs, and this difference was significant (p < 0.001, t = 3.06). The mean number of oblique coronal images (obtained with a 4 mm slice and 1 mm gap) showing signal abnormality was 5.4 in the ITT group versus 2.9 in those without ITTs, and this difference was also significant (p < 0.001, t = 4.45). The mean sagittal extent of the tendon abnormality was 24.6 mm in the ITT group and 11.6 mm in those without ITTs, but the difference was not significant (p > 0.05, t = 1.1364).

Conclusion: The axial angle and the number of oblique coronal images in which signal abnormality was present were significantly related to a higher incidence of infraspinatus tears.

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