MR-tomography diagnostics of posttraumatic habitual dislocations of the shoulder

The authors have studied MR-tomography anatomy of the shoulder in 40 patients with posttraumatic habitual dislocation of the shoulder and in 6 normal subjects. The traditional IMR-tomography of the shoulder had no necessary level of effectiveness. Therefore, an original technique of MR-arthrography has been worked out for the shoulder instability diagnostics using contrasting the shoulder cavity with 0,5 % solution of Novocain as 30 ml 3 hours before examination. The technique of the shoulder MR-arthrography proposed by the authors has allowed to expand the scopes for radial diagnostics of the shoulder posttraumatic habitual dislocations. Characteristic MR-tomography signs of the shoulder habitual dislocation have been established: deepening and volume increase of axillary sinovial pocket along humeral anterior-internal surface from surgical neck level and lower; widening of the shoulder slit; increased extensibility of the shoulder capsule along the shoulder front and back surfaces.