抄録
(Purpose)In this study we investigated the role, the usefulness and limitation of ultrasonography in detecting incomplete rotator cuff tears.
(Materials and methods)The subjects were 70 patients (73 shoulders) who had undergone shoulder sonography prior to surgery and arthroscopy. Their ages ranged from 17 to 88 years, with a mean age of 58.6 years. Bilateral sonography was performed on all the patients using a 7.5 MHz linear phased transducer and the measurments were taken in both the long and short axis scans. Bilateral ultrasonographies were performed before a double contrast arthrogram of the symptomatic side. If a complete rotator cuff tear was not diagnosed by the arthrogram, the ultrasonography was performed again. We called this method“enhanced ultrasonography”. We diagnosed a complete rotator cuff tear by finding nonvisualization, defects and thinning of<4mm and an incomplete tear by finding defects, thinning and a high echogenic region.
(Results and Discussion)18 out of 74 cases of incomplete tears were surgically comfirmed. Of these,7 of the 11 joint-side tears,1 of the 2 of the intratendinous tear,1 of the 2 intratendinous tears and 1 of the 5 bursal-side tears were diagnosed by ultrasonography. With enhanced ultrasonography, the diagnosis rate of joint-side tears was 86% (6 out of 7 joint-side tears). The diagnosis of bursal-side tears and intratendinous tears was difficult compared with that of joint-side tears. Enhanced ultrasonography may be useful for the diagnosis of incomplete rotator cuff joint-side tears.
